Turning Tables
by Skinfull
Summary: Sam and Andy are working together and getting closer each day, but after a particularly bad case, Sam needs a change of scene and volunteers for work at another precinct, where something else keeps his mind of his troubles. - COMPLETED
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**: Okay, another one! Also another WIP and also barely planned but these are the most fun ones to write anyway! :) Hashed out a few ideas, thought of a few scenes lets see if we land anywhere near the intended mark.

~ Giving it the full M rating for the inevitable smuttiness! But planning to maybe throw in a little bit o' case work into this one too!

~ Timeline I'm thinking is mid S1 but without Luke (Luke who!?) and no blackout make out session! So basically she is still relatively new to the job... and with that... _here we go again!_

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**Turning Tables.**

**By Skinfull**

Sam sat in the patrol car drumming his fingers off the wheel while he waited for her. He checked his watch and saw it was now 15 minutes since parade has ended, 15 minutes since she raced into the locker room and told him she would meet him in the car in 5. He watched the door for another minute but when there was still no sign of her he jumped out of the car and hurried across the lot. As he pulled the heavy door open Andy was on the other side, pushing it out and she fell into him.

"McNally? What the hell?" Sam helped her stand and she fidgeted with her hair, and brushed down the front of her uniform.

"Sorry, sir, I was-"

"You know what?" he was already walking away, back to the car. "I don't care. Let's go!" She hurried to catch up with him, tossed her bag into the back seat then climbed in and buckled up. Sam started the engine without waiting for see if she was ready. He tore into traffic speeding through cars, slowed down only for junctions and lights.

"Where's the fire?" she asked smirking.

"Fire? We're the police McNally…did you go to the wrong academy?"

"Very funny. I meant where are we going in such a rush? Did you get a call while you were waiting?"

"While I was waiting for you to join me in the patrol car, nearly 20 minutes after we were supposed to be already on the streets?" He glanced over at her and she looked away. "No, I didn't get a call."

"So what's the rush?"

He didn't answer for a moment and concentrated only on getting through traffic. "No rush, just a particular destination that we need to get to before 9am."

"Where?" Andy looked out the window at the streets going by and tried to think what it was they were racing to.

Finally he started to slow the car and came to a halt outside a construction site on the corner of Bloor St and Keele St. He got out of the car and she followed. She had her notebook in her hand ready to take notes thinking that they were rushing to an interview, but she slowed in her tracks and stopped when she saw him hurry up to a food truck that was parked on the corner. The owner was just pulling down the canopy door as he closed up and Sam pleaded with him to take his order.

"Breakfast?" She came up behind him. He succeeded in placing his order as the chef got back into the truck to make it up and Sam looked over his shoulder and smiled triumphantly as she approached. "You came rushing over here for breakfast?"

"Not just breakfast McNally, this is a gourmet truck food."

"There is such a thing?"

"Picture it…" when she came close enough he draped an arm over her shoulder and waved his hand in front of them both. "Late night shift, 10 hours of hustling on the streets…policing, not prostitution…" he clarified and she smiled and rolled her eyes. "Then on your way home, knowing everywhere is closed, and your fridge is empty you spy this shining light, this saviour, this oasis in a desert of concrete…"

"Poetic."

"You approach slowly; you don't want to scare it off…" She laughed. "Then when you finally get it in your sights, you order...slow cooked BBQ pulled pork on rye with crispy onions and mustard."

"For breakfast?"

"And lunch, dinner and tea!"

"Order up!" the chef called and Sam stepped forward to pay and take his order.

As soon as he got it, he grabbed a handful of napkins and started to walk back to the car. He held the wrapped sandwich up to his nose and inhaled deeply. They got to the car but instead of climbing in he perched himself on the bonnet. Andy followed and leaned on the bonnet next to him. He unwrapped one layer of paper and put it behind him on the car then ever so slowly peeled down the next layer.

"Are you going to eat that or kiss it?" she asked watching him handle it so delicately. He looked up at her with a cocked eyebrow for a minute then continued on his mission. When he took his first bite he closed his eyes and relished it. He had BBQ sauce and a smear of mustard on the corner of his mouth but he didn't seem to care. "Good?"

"Good McNally? Good is not the adjective for this sandwich. This sandwich is so far beyond good, it could marry good!" He took another bite and smiled, the food in his mouth puffing his cheek out. "You want some?" He tilted it towards her.

"Yeah, ok." She put out her hand for the sandwich but he didn't hand it over.

"I'm not giving it to you!" the tone in his voice was incredulous. "I'm offering you a bite!"

"Fine."

He peeled the paper down a little further and held it out for her to take a bite. She hesitated a minute then moved her head, twisted it and turned trying to get a good angle.

"It's a sandwich McNally, not a brain teaser!"

"Hold on…" She took hold of it, covered his hands with hers then tilted it a little to the left and bit off a good sized chunk on the corner. She chewed it quickly, wishing she hadn't taken such a big bite, but he didn't seem to notice as he took another one for himself.

"So?" he said after he swallowed his bite and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Good right?"

"Yeah," she smiled and nodded her head. "It's really good."

"You're not getting any more." He grinned smugly and passed her a napkin. "You have a little something…" she took the napkin and he gestured to the corner of her mouth.

Andy blushed and wiped her mouth with the napkin then the radio in the car buzzed for attention. She left Sam on the bonnet enjoying his food as she went to answer it. She stood in the open car door and activated the radio.

"This is 15-oh-5, we're at the corner of Bloor and Keele. over"

"Car 15-oh-7 required back up, 10-46 in progress on King and Bathurst, immediate assistance required."

"10-4." Andy put the radio back into the slot and banged on the roof of the car to get Sam's attention. "Let's go."

"Ugh!" Sam was already covering up the remaining sandwich and hurried round to the driver's seat. He handed her his food as he buckled up and started the engine. "Don't eat that! I know how much is left!" Andy rolled her eyes at him. "I saw that."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**:So it turns out that I have picked a title that is already in use by another RB fanfic. But no point in changing it... lets just share it!

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Sam parked the car at the edge of the cordoned off zone. There was an ambulance already parked there and another squad car. They hurried out of the car and he lifted the tape for her then followed her onto the scene. Noelle and Peck were talking to one of the EMT's and in the back of the Ambulance the other EMT was patching a woman up.

"What's going on?" Sam asked as he approached. "Is it really a 10-46?"

"We have a jumper." Noelle said as she pointed up. Sam and Andy looked up and saw someone standing on the edge of the roof.

"Who is he?"

"Husband…" she gestured to the lady in the back of the ambulance. "I didn't get the full story, she isn't very coherent. Something about a mortgage…"

"Fire truck?"

"On its way but there was a warehouse fire in York and it could be 20 minutes before it gets here."

"20 minutes?" Sam ran a hand through his hair. "Has anyone talked to him yet?"

"Not yet."

"Do we have a name? Anything?"

"The wife was screaming out "James"."

"Are the D's on the way?"

"Barbar is 10 mins out."

"Okay, Noelle, go talk to the wife, get any information you can, Peck this crowd is going to start to build up, call for more back up and make sure there is no cordon breech. I'm going up to talk to him. McNally you're with me."

Sam rushed off towards the building with Andy on his tail. It was a well to do apartment building, complete with a doorman, 8 stories high. The doorman held the door open and followed them into the lobby.

"Do you know the gentleman upstairs?" Sam asked as they pressed the button for the lift.

"Not really officer, I only started here a couple of weeks ago and I've been on the night shift until yesterday."

"Okay, don't let anyone other residents in or out. Fire truck should be here soon."

"Yes sir."

The lift hadn't moved from the 6th floor since he called it so Sam looked around and found the door to the stairs.

"C'mon McNally, looks like we're hoofing it."

The stairwell was bare and concrete, but well lit. Andy kept up easily enough, even though he took the steps in twos and threes.

"Have you seen someone jump before?" She asked and immediately regretted it, realising how macabre the question sounded. "I mean, have you had to talk someone down before?"

"You mean have I successfully talked someone down before."

"Have you?"

"Once."

This gave Andy a little hope as they took the final steep steps up onto the roof. The door was heavy and Sam held it open for her then made a silent gesture for her to close it softly. There was a deep layer of loose gravel on the roof and hard to walk on. It wasn't a functional roof but used only for satellites and a centralised air-con units. They hurried over to the south west corner where James was standing but slowed then stopped as they approached. The roof had a small lipped curb around the edge, no pillars or architraves. Nothing, Sam noticed, that he could hold onto or grab if he got too close.

"James? Your name is James?" Sam spoke softly, evenly, keeping his voice calm. It was very different to the tone Andy usually heard from him when he was interviewing people or interrogating suspects. This was a calm soft tone that she imagined he would use should he speak to a kid.

James turned slowly. He spotted them but passed no remarks and turned back to look at the street below. Andy and Sam took a few steps closer. Sam gestured for her to fan out and they widened their approach as they got closer.

"James…my name is Sam, this is Andy." A few steps closer. "What is it you need buddy?"

"To jump."

Sam glanced at Andy who was fixed on the jumper. He recognised that tone. He had been in this position more than once. There was so much you could tell from the tone of voice of a jumper. Some of them had no intentions of jumping, they just needed to walk up to the edge of the abyss before they realised they couldn't do it. These people's voices quivered with fear, they were crying and angry and usually holding onto something behind them.

But then there was James. His voice was low and steady. There was no trace of tears on his face. He was wearing a suit and his tie was still neatly secured in place. His arms hung loose by his sides despite the sill he was standing on probably only being 10 inches wide.

"You don't want to do that James, we can help you. Why don't you come back here, talk to me."

"Talk." James's head shook. "I tried talking. I tried talking to my boss when I got made redundant. I tried talking to my contacts when I was looking for another job. I tried talking to my bank manager when they foreclosed on my house. Talk? I'm done talking."

Andy circled closer from the left and Sam from the right. They were only 3 feet away from him now. Andy wanted to lurch for him, grab his jacket, pull him back in safely, but Sam who saw that look in her eye shook his head.

"I know it all seems bleak right now-"

"Bleak is not the word."

"Jumping isn't the answer."

"No?" James turned slightly to Sam and showed no sign of surprise at how close he was. Sam noted his eyes. Cold, dead, decision made.

"Grab him McNally!" He yelled and he ran forward to get hold of him too. James thrust his hands out, crucifixion style and just let his body fall. Sam got there first, and grabbed the corner of James jacket. But it wasn't enough. The weight of James falling pulled Sam closer than he would have liked to the edge. He dug his heels into the ground but the gravel gave him no purchase. James had fallen back and hit the wall. Sam had hold of him with both hands, his heels were being dragged ever closer to the edge. Sam threw his body to the floor, hoping the wider surface area would stop him from falling over the edge himself.

Andy was lying on her stomach; her legs spread eagled and she reached down. She grabbed James' shirt collar, taking some of the weight off Sam and giving him a chance to adjust his grip, but her hold on him was tenuous.

"Sir… he's slipping!"

"Hold on McNally… hold on!"

James was no help, he kicked and squirmed reached his hands up to beat Andy's to loosen her grip. Sam was now lying next to her and was grasping bunches of James' shirt. Andy lost her grip and Sam got dragged half over the edge.

"McNally!" he yelled. He had one hand holding James' shirt and he could feel it ripping. James was thumping his arm, moving his body, using the wall as leverage. Sam's other hand was on the lipped curb, holding himself onto the roof and Andy was holding his belt, trying to stop him from falling.

Sam felt something sharp on his arm and he looked down to see James hitting him with a pen, there was a gash down his arm and James took another swing and stabbed his arm again. He yelled out in pain and tried his best to hold on but it was no use. The shirt ripped and James fell, leaving Sam half dangling off the roof himself, his arm punctured, blood pouring from the wound. The sounds of screams from below travelled up and rattled in his head. Andy was pulling on his belt, trying to get him back onto the roof fully and when he could move again he helped her.

He rolled over onto his back, his head in her lap and started up at the clear blue sky. His breathing was ragged and his heart was beating slower than he thought it should then he realised it wasn't just his heart… everything was in slow motion. Andy leaned over him, right into the middle of his field of vision, blocking the sun, causing her to be nothing but a silhouette. She was talking but he couldn't hear her. She slapped his cheeks with the backs of her hands but still nothing.

"Sir? Sam? Officer Swarek?" She tried everything but he was dazed. His eyes closed over and for a second she thought he fainted until he scrunched them closed, tighter. "Sir?"

Sam opened his eyes, took a minute to focus on her then rolled off her lap and onto all fours. He felt dizzy. She put a hand on his back that he could still feel through his vest. He stood up and only then Andy noticed the blood.

"Oh god… your arm!" She snatched his arm and took a look. The gash was deep and ran about three inches down on the inside of his forearm, another smaller cut ran across his wrist just below the other one. "Here, hang on…" she looked around but there was nothing to wrap it with. The blood was flowing freely and she could see him pale before her eyes. As quick as she could she pulled off her vest then ripped her uniform shirt over her head and wrapped it as tightly as she could around the wounds. She grabbed her vest off the floor and led him back to the door way.

Andy radioed for help when they got off the roof and stood in the lobby on the 8th floor waiting for the elevator. Sam was quiet; she watched his eyes fade and roll. He had his arm draped over her shoulder and was leaning more and more on her as they waited. Finally when the car arrived she hefted him in and pressed the floor for the lobby. Sam fell against the far wall and slid to the floor. She knelt beside him and held onto the shirt that was wrapped on his arm but already the blood was seeping out of it.

"Hold on, were nearly there… hold on!" she said over and over. Her hands were stained red, and when she reached up to push her fringe out of her eyes she smeared it on her brow.

"Andy…" his voice was low and his breathing ragged. "If something happens…"

"Shhhhh nothing is going to happen, you are going to be fine."

"You can...have the...rest of my sandwich," he said then he grinned but it faded fast and his eyes closed.

"Sam!" she slapped his cheeks but there was no response.

When the elevator door opened two EMT's rushed in. They pushed her aside and lay him down as one of them pulled her shirt off his arm and the other checked his pulse.

"He's in shock, pulse 140 and thready, BP 50 over 30," one of them said.

"Give him 125 mg solumedrol, IV push!"

"You got it. Put pressure on that wound."

Andy pushed herself into the corner trying to get out of the way and watched it all happen around her. They packed his wound with clean gauze but all too quickly it bled through.

"BP's going nowhere, still 50 over 30. Pulse OX 90."

"We need to get some o-neg and get him to the ER."

"O-neg in."

They used the split backboard to lift him and carried him to the gurney that was waiting outside. They wheeled him to the ambulance and pushed him in. Andy tried to get in the back with him but Noelle grabbed her.

"McNally, no! You need to stay here, give your statement."

Andy was dazed, her face was smeared with blood, her hands were red, she was carrying her vest and blood stained uniform shirt, and was wearing only a navy tee.

"Okay," she nodded and turned to face the scene. The fire truck had arrived and were enforcing the cordon that Peck set up. Another ambulance was on scene, the EMT's checked James' body but it wasn't long before they gave up. One of them was on the phone, Andy guessed to the coroner and the other one was packing equipment away.

Noelle guided Andy over to the ambulance and forced her to sit down on the back step. The EMT checked her head where the blood was but Andy brushed her hands away.

"It's not mine, it's not my blood." The EMT nodded and instead started to clean it up for her. She handed her some antiseptic wet wipes for her hands. Andy frantically wiped the blood away but couldn't get rid of it completely.

Gerry came around to the back of the Ambulance and put a hand on her shoulder. "McNally…Andy… are you ok?" She looked up at him, her eyes wide and scared, her brow furrowed.

"Sam…" she blurted out.

"Tell me what happened."

"Okay…" she took a few deep breaths and tried to focus. "We entered the building, Sam told the doorman to secure the door, not to let any residents in or out…the elevator was taking too long so we took the stairs. We got to the roof…James was standing on the edge."

"Did he speak, did you speak to him?"

"Sam spoke to him…asked him to come back from the edge…he said something about losing his job, his house…" Andy faltered; she struggled to recall in detail what happened when all she could see was Sam lying in her arms, blood pouring out of his arm and his eyes rolling into the back of his head.

"Then what?" Gerry urged her to continue.

"I'm not sure… Sam yelled for me to grab him. He grabbed him too. He got the jacket. I was holding his collar, the guy… James…he was trying to break free…I lost my grip." Andy covered her face with her hands.

"It's okay Andy," Noelle rubbed her arm, encouraging her to continue.

"Sam was still holding on, but he was being pulled over the edge. I grabbed Sam's belt…he was half hanging over the roof then…I dunno…Sam yelled out and it must have been when he…when James fell because I could pull him back onto the roof. I only noticed the cut on his arm then…"

"Okay, Andy, okay." Gerry squeezed her shoulder and walked off to talk to the coroner who just arrived on scene.

"He's going to be fine Andy," Noelle said encouragingly. "He lost some blood, they'll patch him up and he'll be right as rain." Andy nodded silently but Noelle saw that she wasn't going to be able to calm down until she saw for herself.

"I just need to go see if…"

"Go, we'll take it from here."

Andy didn't need to wait for a second approval so she thanks Noelle and hurried off to the squad car Sam had parked earlier. She used the spare set he kept under the driver's seat and took off.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**: Just and FYI...I don't really know anything about medical stuff, I usually steal my medic-speak from old ER scripts! and so I tend not to go into too much detail when it comes to injuries. I hope this wont detract from this chapter.

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Andy raced into the ER and straight up to the check in desk. The room was loud and full with people. There was a baby crying in the corner, its aggravated mother trying her best to sooth it in this alien environment. One man lay across two seats with a large wound on his cheek, he was being seen to by two orderlies.

"I'm Officer McNally, I'm looking for my partner Officer Swarek, he was brought in by ambulance a little while ago, with a wound on his right forearm."

"He's in surgery; you'll have to take a seat an wait."

"Can you tell me what's happened? How he is? Anything?!" Andy was insistent but the desk nurse wasn't interested.

"I'm sorry but we can only hand this information out to family. Are you family?"

"…no, I'm his partner!" Andy felt her anger bubbling up. She was in partial uniform and has Sam's blood smeared on her hands and she was sure her face too.

"I understand your distress ma'am, but patient confidentiality-"

"I just watched a man fall 8 storeys to his death, my partner… Officer Swarek, got his arm cut in the process of trying to save him, I tore my shirt off to wrap around his wound, I carried him to the EMT and watched as they took him in…now can you please! Tell me how he is doing."

The nurse looked her up and down. Noted the blood on her tee, up her arms and on her hairline.

"I'm sorry…I can't. The Division Staff Sgt can call us, we can give him info if there is no family-"

"There is family. He has a sister, Sarah, she lives in St Catherine's… should I be calling her!?" Andy pleaded.

The nurses resolve melted. She reached for the file from a pile to her left. "Okay hang on…He came in with a deep laceration on his arm, he lost a lot of blood, and had to be brought in for surgery. That's all I know."

"Will he be ok?"

"I'm sorry honey, I don't know. You will need to talk to the doctor."

"When will he be out?"

"I don't know. But let me try to find someone for you who does," she said as she took the phone and dialled up to the OR.

"Thank you!"

Andy walked away from the desk. She reached up to cover her face with her hands but then noticed the blood stains on her fingers. A cold taste of bile curled up her throat and she bent over, braced her hands on her knees and tried to force it back down.

"Officer?" the desk nurse called her back. "An OR nurse will be down to speak with you shortly."

"Thank you… oh one more thing… bathroom?"

The nurse pointed down the hallway and Andy rushed towards it. She pushed into a stall and slammed the door closed behind her but with her head over the bowl nothing came out. She dry heaved a few times but nothing. When she was sure she was ok she went out to the sinks. She washed her hands and arms vigorously then looked into the mirror to examine her face. She was pale but apart from a small line of blood at the top of her forehead by her hairline there was nothing else wrong.

Andy pooled cold water in her hands and splashed it into her face and rubbed her head to get rid of the blood. She dried herself off then went back to the corridor where a nurse was approaching.

"Officer McNally?"

"Yes."

"I'm Louise Parker, I was with Officer Swarek in the ER."

"How is he?"

"He is fine!"

The OR nurse continued to speak but Andy heard nothing. Her first three words swam around and around in her head.

"He will be in surgery for just a few hours, there was some extensive damage done to his artery and that's why he lost his blood so quickly. Also the surgeon will need to check his nerves to make sure they are all intact."

"Will his hand be ok?"

"It's hard to tell. The surgeon will be able to answer that better for you when he's out."

"So he could end up with reduced mobility?"

"It is a possibility. But Dr Bartlett is the best." The nurse put and hand on Andy's shoulder. "He will be out then into ICU for an hour or so. I'll get Dr Bartlett to talk to you as soon as he can."

"Thank you."

The nurse turned and walked away and Andy slumped against the wall.

"Andy?" She turned to see Traci walking in and felt herself crumble against her. "Oh Andy!" Traci hugged her friend tight as she feared the worst.

"No, no Traci, he's going to be ok." She said as she disentangled herself from her friend's arms. "I just spoke to a nurse. They have him in surgery but…"

"But what? He's going to be ok but what?"

"The damage to his artery and possibly some nerves…he might not regain full use."

"Oh god…" Traci gathered her into a hug again.

Within a couple of hours Andy and Traci were joined by Shaw and Best. Dov and Chris had brought coffees from the canteen when the surgeon came into the family waiting room they were using.

"Eh…Officer McNally?" he said into the crowd of police officers in the room.

"Yeah that's me," Andy said as she stepped forward and tried to read the surgeons face. Best stood with her, a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm Dr Joseph Bartlett, I was in surgery with your partner Sam Swarek. We've repaired his artery and he received over 6 pints of blood. He is still unconscious but this is to be expected."

"Any nerve damage?" Best asked the question that Andy couldn't.

"We won't be able to tell that until he wakes up and we can perform some conclusive tests. All initial tests show good signs of reflex motor skills so I am very hopeful."

The room seemed to sigh with relief. Oliver and Traci hugged and Best squeezed Andy's shoulder.

"When can we see him?"

"No visitors yet, he won't be out of ICU for at least an hour, maybe two. When he is transferred to a ward then one person can go in. no more, and not for long."

"Thank you."

"I'll send the nurse back when he is ready." The surgeon smiled and left the room and Andy turned into Bests open arms for a hug. When the door opened again they all turned to see Gerry walking in. The expression on his face changed rapidly from fear and worry to smiling relief.

"I don't need to be a detective to know this room just gone some good news."

"Looks like he's going to be ok, they are hopeful for good reflex recovery too," Best said as he reached out and shook Gerry's hand.

"Brilliant!"

"The weapon was a metal plated fountain pen." Gerry said as he slipped his hands into his pockets.

"A pen? A pen did that?" Andy said as the image of the ugly gash on his arm came to her mind.

"A commemorative metal plated fountain pen. It wasn't a functional pen, it was given to him by his company, probably on his last day."

"Jesus…"

"There was nothing you guys could have done up there Andy." Gerry touched her arm. "He had taken an overdose of meds earlier and would have been dead soon anyway."

"He was so lucid…" she thought, but then she wasn't sure. "So it was all for nothing?"

"It's never for nothing Andy, you always have to try."

She nodded her head. Traci came over to Andy and put her arm on her shoulder. "Andy, you should go home, and change."

"No, no I'm fine."

"Andy you won be able to go in to see him for a few hours, so go home, and change. I'll wait here and call you if anything happens. Which of course it won't."

Andy went to argue then realised how good a shower and a change of clothes would feel. "Ok. But you promise to call me the minute you hear anything?"

"Of course."

"Andy I'll relay with you back to the station," Best said. "I need to get back. Great news guys."

* * *

Andy was back in the in the station showered and changed in record time. She signed out at the desk and hurried out onto the street to get a cab back to the hospital. When she got to the family room she found Traci sitting alone reading a magazine.

"Hey," she said.

"Andy, that was fast!" Traci said looking at her watch and noticing she had only been gone for 80 minutes.

"Where is everyone?"

"Gerry is pacing somewhere with his phone attached to his ear. Dov and Chris went back to the station, I'm surprised you didn't run into them."

"I didn't really hang around. Best gave me the rest of the day off, and tomorrow I have to go for a "chat" with a counsellor to make sure I'm not traumatized." She said complete with air quotes and eye roll as she dropped her bag and fell into the seat next to her friend. "Did you hear anything else?"

"Nothing yet."

Just as she spoke the door opened and Gerry walked in with a brown paper bag. "I brought some food. You ladies hungry?"

"Starved!" Traci admitted as she stretched her hands out and wiggled her fingers for the brown bag.

Andy smiled but shook her head when Traci pulled a sandwich out of the bag. "No thanks, I'm not hungry."

"Andy, you have to eat."

"Ladies I'm afraid I have to go. Got a call about a body found in Dundas tube station. Traci are you staying or…?" Gerry let his question hang. Traci looked at her friend.

"Go Trace, go. I'm totally fine. I'm going to go in and see Sam then I'm going home straight after."

"Are you sure?"

Andy knew how much her friend wanted to become a detective. The nights she gave up with her son to go to classes and didn't want to be the reason she gave up the chance of working a scene. "Yes, I'm sure. Thanks so much for everything."

Traci smiled and hugged her friend then hurried out the door with Gerry. Andy let her head roll back against the wall and flexed her neck. She wasn't sure if she had fallen asleep but all of a sudden a tall orderly was looming over her, his hand on her shoulder as he shook her gently.

"Ma'am."

"Oh… yeah." Andy stood up. "I'm Officer McNally."

"I was told to tell you that Officer Swarek has woken and that you were to come see him."

"He's awake?" Andy grabbed her bag and followed the orderly out of the room. He brought her through a large set of locked double doors that he opened with an ID badge, then along a long corridor to a small semi private room. There was a window on the far wall that let in a lot of natural light. One of the beds in the room was empty and Sam was lying in the other one. She went to his bedside, he had his head turned away and is eyes were closed. His right arm was in a thick bandage and was suspended in an overhead sling.

He had an IV in with several bags of meds on the IV stand that were feeding into his left arm. Andy dropped her bag and instinctively reached out to touch his free arm.

"You're hands are cold McNally," he said without opening his eyes or turning to face her.

She smiled and squeezed his arm. He turned to face her and slowly opened his eyes. His eyes were sunken, with dark circles under them and his face was paler than she had ever seen.

"Do I really look that bad?" he said when he saw the shock on her face.

"No, no you look… you look good."

"I told you before McNally, you're not my type."

He lifted his arm to try to reach for a glass of water that was on his table but the effort was too much. She took the glass and lifted it to his lips. He craned his neck and she slid a hand behind his head to help him and he took a drink.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like a ten tonne truck ran over my body."

"You lost a lot of blood. You're lucky to be alive?"

"You saved me?" his lips curved into a crooked smile "My hero."

Andy blushed but her response was cut off by the door opening and the surgeon walking in.

"Officer Swarek. Any pain?"

"No."

"Well that's not surprising; there is enough pain meds in your system to knock out a horse."

The surgeon detached the sling form the overhead hook and carefully lowered Sam's arm to lie flat by his side. He opened the bandage that was along his arm and exposed the jagged lines of stitches. Andy tried to look away but she found her eyes drawn to it. Without realising it she was squeezing his left shoulder, her fingers digging in tight. Sam looked up to her and saw she was fixated on what the doctor was doing, with a grimace on her face.

"I see you have some reflex response in all your fingers. We won't be able to tell for sure until the swelling goes down and of course the meds wear off but I'm very hopeful for a full recovery."

"Thanks," was all Sam could manage. His eyes were drooping and the surgeon closed the bandages up again with stretch clips then hung the sling back up.

"I'll come back this evening and see if there is any improvement." Sam nodded his energy levels clearly had been sapped by this little encounter. The doctor left.

"That's great news!" Andy said and she rubbed his shoulder.

"Mmmm hmmm," was all he could manage. His eyes drooped over again and this time stayed closed. Andy reached out, brushed his hair back from his face where it had become matted to his head then grabbed her bag and left.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N**: Okay... I veer a little off the normal "Sam" path here but its not for long and it has context. Bear with me! :D

* * *

Sam rolled over in his bed and slammed his fist down on his alarm clock. It didn't matter that it had been three weeks since he heard it ring it was still one of the most annoying sounds he had ever heard. He jumped out of bed and showered. In the bathroom with a towel around his waist he pulled a small bandage from the first aid kit and applied it to the wound on his wrist. The swelling went down weeks ago and the stitches were taken out shortly after that. He had passed all the reflex tests and seemed to be on a road to full recovery though he still had pain when he clenched his fist too tight.

He dressed quickly and packed his work bag then hurried down to his truck to get to the division for his re-evaluation exam. He knew he would be too early but he needed to get there, soak in the familiar surroundings to calm his nerves. He parked up and went straight into the locker room where he changed into his uniform. He was sitting on the bench, flexing his hand with a red stress ball when Oliver walked in to change for his shift.

"Hey! Brother!" Oliver came over to Sam and hugged him. "Great to have you back!"

"Not back yet."

"Just a formality of course," Oliver said as he opened his bag and started to change for his shift. "I was with you at the firing range the other day. You didn't miss one shot."

"Yeah, should be back out on the streets in by lunch time right?"

"And in the Black penny by dinner time."

They both laughed. Oliver continued to dress, not oblivious to the sombre mood in his friend. He watched as Sam sat in the bench, flexing that stress ball over and over. He was wearing a short sleeved uniform shirt underneath his vest and the bandages were a stark white contract to his tanned skin and made them stand out all the more. Oliver looked away.

"Are you coming out to parade?" he asked Sam when he stood to fix his vest on.

"No. I'm going down to the training centre, I don't want to be late."

"Okay. Well like I said, just a formality. I'll see you in the penny this evening?"

"For sure."

"Good."

Oliver left. Sam stood an took a few deep breaths. He wasn't sure why he was so nervous. He had been injured on the job before and he had taken re=evaluation tests before but this one seemed different. He had been going to the mandated counselling sessions and the doctor had given him the all clear to go back to work. He believed Oliver when he said it was just a formality. He had been a the firing rage nearly every day since he could lift his gun again and he knew he was back to his own level.

But something. Something was stopping him from feeling the confidence he was used to.

There was a timid knock on the door and Sam turned to see Andy walking in. Her smile widened when she saw him and she all but bounded over to him.

"Hey…" She said as she gave him a short awkward hug, like she wasn't sure how it was going to be received. Her arms were around his, trapping them by his sides, and she patted his back. "You're here!"

"Eh, Yeah."

"Oliver told me your re-eval was today."

"Oh."

"So I just wanted to wish you luck, though you won't need it. He said you've been down at the range and you are just as good as you ever were."

"Did he?"

"But just in case, so you know today is going to be a good day, I brought you this."

She produced a non-descript bag from her back and held it out to him. He looked down at the bag and up and her expectant smiling face. He took it, started to unwrap it and her smile widened even further. Sam knew what he was holding even before he got to the second layer. The familiar shape and size, the same packaging he couldn't help the smile that curved his lips as he pulled out the pulled pork sandwich.

"I got it from that place you like on Bloor. I wasn't sure what to order though, but the guy saw my uniform, I guess he doesn't get too many cops because I think he knew what I was looking for. Maybe you go there too often. Might wanna think about your food choices when the food truck guy knows what you like." Andy was babbling. She tried to rein it in but it had taken in a life of its own.

"Thanks McNally." He spoke softly.

"Okay, well I'm late for parade…as usual," she talked as she started to walk back out of the room. "So I gotta go. Best of luck sir." She stumbled at the door, almost tripping herself up. Steadied herself on the wall then looked back at Sam who was still smiling at her, blushed and walked out.

Sam looked down at the sandwich in his hand and unwrapped it a bit more. He took a large bite and smiled as he chewed, then wrapped it back up and put it into his locker before heading down to the training centre for his exam.

* * *

Andy and Dov arrived at the Black Penny together and went straight to the bar. Chris, Traci and Gail were behind them so they ordered two pitchers and collected 5 glasses, then carried them over to a free table in the middle.

"What. A. Day." Dov poured out a pint for each of them and handed Andy hers then they toasted and took a long drink. "Can you believe that I had to chase that woman on the beach?"

"She just kept running… she was so fast!" Andy covered her mouth with her hand as she laughed.

"She wasn't wearing shoes! Everyone knows it's easier to run on sand without shoes!"

"Yeah it certainly looks that way."

"Besides, she was an athlete!" Dov argued still then lifted his hand to wave at the others as they came in. They crossed the room to join the table as Dov was pouring out more drinks and passing them out.

"An athlete? Dov she was a show jumper…it's the horse that does all the heavy lifting in that sport!" Andy responded.

"God, is he still going on about that woman at the beach?" Gail said and she rolled her eyes.

"Did you see her vault over those dunes?!" They all laughed.

They finished these pitchers and Gail and Chris went up to buy two more. Traci had disappeared, Andy suspected with Jerry and most of the shift was finished and had come to the pub, leaving standing room only at the bar. There was an odd sense of anticipation in the room that Andy couldn't place. It was Friday night, she had Saturday off; it felt like it was the last day of school before the summer and everyone was in a good mood.

"Have you seen him yet?" Dov asked noticing how she was zoned out.

"Who?"

"Swarek."

"I spoke to him this morning but not since."

"I'm sure he passed. Can't imagine Swarek doin any other job."

"No," Andy laughed. "Can you imagine him selling insurance?"

"Making fancy coffees in Tim Horton's?"

"Oh god…" Andy slapped the table as she laughed. "Waiting tables at Denny's…with that uniform!"

They were both still laughing when the Gail and Chris came back with their drinks.

"Speak of the devil…" Dov said as he sobered up and saw Oliver and Sam walking through the door. All the cops that were standing nearby cheered and clapped as they made their way to the bar. Andy looked over her shoulder and smiled at him but he didn't look in her direction. He was out of uniform and was wearing a black tee over a white long sleeve with the sleeve on his right arm pulled right down past his wrist. He waved off the well-wishers and ordered drinks for himself and Oliver.

"Certified!" Oliver shouted as they each took a shot and downed it. Sam laughed at his friend an ordered another. "Certifiable!" he shouted this time before they drank.

"Okay…I gotta slow down," Sam said and he ordered a couple of bottles of beers instead. "I've been on meds for a few weeks; my body is not ready for an onslaught of alcohol."

"Sink or swim Sammy!"

"Shouldn't you be buying me these drinks?" am slapped his friend on the back.

"No, no that's not that way it works!" Oliver reasoned with him. "See while you were in hospital, and then at home on meds and no alcohol could pass those pretty lips,_ I_ had to drink twice as much to keep this bar open! So the way I see it, you owe me!"

Sam laughed then tilted his bottle so Oliver could clink then they both took long drink. They moved over to the pool table and Sam did his best to keep up with Oliver's drinks but it was no use. It had almost been a month since he had been out drinking and already he was feeling the effects. He finished the game of pool then reached for his jacket.

"Alright brother, I'm gonna head off."

"What?!" Oliver looked at the clock on the wall. "Its 10.30, its Friday, we're off tomorrow!"

"I'm wrecked, it's been a long day."

Sam bowed his head as he fixed his coat and started to walk towards the back door. Oliver finished his drink, passed the cue he was holding to the next player and followed him out to the car lot.

"Hey, Sam, Sammy wait up!" Oliver caught up but Sam kept walking. "What's goin on here?"

"What? Nothing. Is it such a big deal that I don't want to stay out drinking?"

"Well…yeah!" Oliver kept pace with his friend. "Yeah, it is actually." Sam didn't respond. He kept walking. "So…spill."

Sam slowed down and then stopped and Oliver turned to face him.

"You know when that guy was on the roof…he had just made up his mind. I could have lassoed him with grappling hooks and that guy would have fallen. Maybe not when I was there but he would have found a way."

"Of course. There was nothing you could have done do to save him."

"Well...when I was trying to pull him up, when I ended up over the edge myself, holding on only by this small curb… and McNally holding my gun belt!" he laughed but Oliver didn't even smile. "I was lying there waiting to fall and I thought…so what…so what if I fall."

"So what?"

"What have I got here that would be worth pulling myself back up for?"

"Jesus Sammy when did you get so maudlin? Was your new blood donated by some sad sack?"

"I've let too many things pass me by, and all I could think of was why? I know, it's stupid."

"Damn right it's stupid. You've got Sarah, your sister. Me, your brother!" Oliver said and he thumped Sam in the shoulder. "It sounds to me like you're stuck in a med fuelled rut. 2 weeks without posing in that uniform, no wonder you're feeling shitty."

"It's not just that…It's…something else." He patted his friend on the arm and tried to smile. "Look, go back to the penny. Enjoy your night. I really am wrecked. I need the early night."

"Ok. See you tomorrow?"

"Sure." Sam waved, tried to smile at him again walked off. Oliver watched him for a moment then went back to the penny.

Back at the bar he ordered a drink and was waiting by the pool table when Andy came up beside him.

"Hey, McNally." He said over his shoulder as he took the cue and played his shot.

"Sir, is… officer Swarek gone?"

"Yeah, he just left." Oliver circled the table and took another shot but the ball bounced off the corner cushion and didn't go in.

"Oh…" Oliver looked up and saw her fidget with a coaster on the bar. "Okay, well I'm just glad he got certified." She forced a smile an went back to her table where she grabbed her coat.

"You're leaving?" Dov asked.

"Yeah, I have a lot of things I need to get done tomorrow and it will be a write off if I stay here much longer."

"God Speed!" Dov called out and lifted his glass as she left.

Andy left the bar and walked a couple of blocks as she tried to hail a cab. When she had gotten so far without success she decided to just walk the rest of the way. She reached into her bag and pulled out her phone and earphones, slipped her earphones in and hit shuffle on the music app to play a song. The music was loud and drowned out the city traffic noises as she walked.

She got to her street and was already rummaging in her bag for her keys. With her bag pulled to her front and her head bent down as she searched, she didn't see the hand that reached out from behind to grab her shoulder.

Andy screamed, grabbed the hand, pulled it forward then thrust her hip back to carry her assailant past her and onto the ground. She didn't waste any time after that and jumped down with her knee aimed for his solar plexus, not realising till it was too late that it was Sam she has just vaulted. The shock of seeing him knocked her off balance and he used her momentum to push her knee to the side then moved her body and rolled with her so she landed on her back and he was on top of her.

Andy lay there panting; her shock and fear were fading. Sam was lying on top of her, with her legs spread-eagled. He was talking to her but she couldn't hear what he was saying.

"What?" she said. Sam reached up to her head and pulled out her earphones.

"I was trying to call you, you couldn't hear me. I didn't mean to scare you."

"You scared me…" she repeated.

"Yeah, I got that."

They lay like that, on the pavement for a moment more. She was still breathing rapidly but he didn't even seem to have a hair out of place.

"Can I…eh…get up?" she asked when he showed no signs of moving.

"Oh, right yeah, sorry." He climbed off her then took her hands and pulled her up.

"What are you doing here?" she brushed herself off, put her earphones into her bag and started to rummage for her keys again.

"I was out for a walk."

"15 blocks from your place?"

"I was on my way home from the penny."

"Then you are going in the wrong direction."

Sam smiled. "Okay, I wanted to see you."

"Me?" she finally put her hands on her keys. "What did you want to see me for… and I was in the Penny too. You could have seen me then."

"I did see you then." Sam bowed his head. "But I wanted to talk to you actually."

"What do you want to talk about?"

"That day. That day on the roof…" Sam hesitated. He bowed his head, breaking eye contact with her.

"Do you want to come inside?" she asked and she jingled her keys between her hands.

"Not yet…" Sam took a step forward and took hold of her hands. "Just let me say this…That day on the roof I nearly fell."

"I had you, I wouldn't have let you fall."

"I know, McNally," Sam smiled. "But I nearly did fall. And then I got stabbed and I nearly died anyway. And all I could think of was that I was a coward."

"Sam you are not a coward."

"I didn't want to go to my deathbed thinking of opportunities missed."

"What are you on about-"

Sam let go of her hands, grabbed her face and kissed her. Andy stood still, shock coursing through her system as he moved his lips and stepped a little closer but when his tongue touched her lips she was spurred into action. She moved her hands against his chest and pushed him away.

"Sam…don't." He stepped back dropped his arms by his side and watched her. "What you went through that day, was awful. Nearly falling off that roof. Getting stabbed, nearly dying from blood loss, then the threat of losing mobility in your hand… it was one thing after another."

"Andy-"

"You can't tell me that you are over all of that already. This, what you are doing now, isn't real. It's a coping mechanism."

Sam laughed. "Coping mechanism?"

"Yes. You need to work through the trauma. Then when you find yourself on solid ground again-"

"Look McNally," he waved his hands at her defensively. "I didn't come here for an emotional lecture."

"So what did you come here for? To get laid?"

Sam smiled widely, crossed his arms over his chest and wagged his eyebrows at her.

"Go home Sam."

She turned and walked away from him.

"McNally wait…" he caught up with her but she continued up her front steps.

"No Sam. Not like this." She looked at him for a moment then let herself in and closed and locked the door behind her.

Sam stood at the bottom of the steps, his arms open and his mouth agape. The resonate sound of the lock slicking into place let him believe that she wasn't coming back out to him.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N**: Seems we have couple of different opinions out there regarding how Andy shot Sam down...fun times ahead!

~BTW...I have no idea how police radar guns work, but I imagine its something like this... also, when I was living in Canada Tim Horton's (or Timbos as we called it) was a staple in our cuisine...man I miss it!

* * *

Sam was glad to be starting his rotation back at 15 on a Sunday. Sundays were filled with traffic violations as people came back into the city but hardly any of the messy drunks or parties that would plague the rest of the weekend. He changed in the locker room, came out through the bull pen and walked into the parade room with a flourish. The rest of the cops who were already there waiting for the parade to start clapped and sheered him on.

"Finally, someone to get coffees!" Oliver called out. "I'll have a chi latte!"

"Skimmed milk I assume?"

"Trying to say something Swarek?" Oliver stood an ran his hand down the front of his vest where he was obviously holding everything in.

"You mum said she had to let your pants out again. Better keep an eye on that!"

The room was laughing and alive with chatter when Andy and Traci arrived. She came through the door and all but bumped into Sam. He stepped aside with a wave of his arm and let her pass. They both walked by and took seats at the front of the room.

"What was all that about?" Traci asked.

"I dunno, Sam being Sam I guess."

"What are you not telling me McNally?"

"Nothing!" She said but Traci who had known Andy from the first day at the academy knew better than to believe her.

"Liar, liar, pants on fire." Traci said and she nudged her friend with an elbow but before Andy could protest further Best walked in and took the podium.

"Okay people. Sunday commute will be in full swing all day so we're setting up some traffic spots around the city. Last weekend we recorded 63 RTA's within in the city limits, which included 7 fatalities." Best let that statistic settle into the room. "That's 7 people who didn't get to go home to their families." He walked to the side of the room where there was a district map pinned to the wall. "These three spots have been identified as major black spots so we're going to focus on them. Eglington just off the Freeway that's for you Peckstien…"

Andy watched where he pointed on the map and her heart sank when he didn't call her name.

"Black Creek Dr and Lawrence Ave. Shaw and…" Andy stared at Best, willing him to pair her with Oliver. "Shaw and Diaz. Then finally Gardiner Expressway and Lake shore Dr. Andy, if you wouldn't mind reintroducing Sam to the joys of traffic monitoring."

"Yes sir."

"Nash, you have front desk. The rest of you are on regular patrol. Okay, let's get out there. Be seen, save lives, and come home safe."

The room emptied pretty quickly, except for Andy and Traci.

"Did something happen between you and Swarek?"

"No!" Andy protested and she stood up to slip her note book into her pocket. "Well not really."

"Oh my god! Tell me!"

"He kissed me is all. Just a kiss."

"What? When?"

"Friday. When I got home, he was waiting there for me."

"And he just planted one on you?"

"He was talking about that day, that day on the roof." They started to walk out of the parade room and through the bullpen, towards the front desk where Nash was stationed for the day. "He was saying that he was scared…"

"I bet. I would have been terrified."

"No, well yeah, scared of that, but scared that he had missed opportunities… or something. I can't remember how he put it, but then next thing I know…he kissed me."

"What did you do?"

"I did nothing for a minute! I just froze! But then I pushed him away."

"What?!" Traci spun round and spoke louder than she meant to, garnering the attention of some of the cops nearby. Sam an Oliver were standing at the coffee station and heard her exclamation.

"What's goin on over there?" Oliver asked as they watched Traci grab Andy and pull her around the corner towards the front desk.

"No idea." Sam turned back to his coffee and stirred in some sugar.

"You okay, brother?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"About Friday…"

"Forget it. You were right. I just needed to get back into uniform, just a few looks from the badge bunnies and I'm golden." Sam smiled at his friend and tried to reassure him. "Seriously though…I'm good. Glad to be back."

"Good to hear it." Shaw turned to see Diaz approaching. "Why is it that my rookie is always right on time, while yours is never anywhere to be seen?"

"Why is it that I always end up with more collars than you?"

"Oh was that a challenge?"

"Legit speeders and reckless drivers?"

"You are on."

"Loser pays 5 dollars for every collar the winner gets."

"It is on. Diaz, let's get going!" Sam watched them leave then checked his pockets for the car keys before he followed them.

"So you pushed him away…go on!" Traci said, urging Andy to continue.

"I just told him that I didn't want him coming to my door looking for a quick lay."

"Yeah right!" Traci said laughing.

"No Trace!" Andy slapped her friend. "Not like that. There is something wrong with him, I mean what happened that day...that's gonna stay with you. I'm worried about him." Her words sobered Traci and she tilted her head. She put a hand over Andy's and squeezed it.

"Andy he went through a lot. He won't just bounce back from that and be just the way he used to be… it will take some time."

"That's what I mean! That's what I said to him." Andy covered her face with her hands. "I mean..._you_ know I want him to knock on my door, hell I don't know how I've stayed away from his this long, but not like this. Not because he is freaking out! I tried to explain it to him last night."

"Well, looks like the powers that be are giving you a chance to elaborate. Aren't you on patrol with him today?"

"Oh crap! I gotta go!" She raced to the locker room and grabbed her bag, then hurried out to the car lot where Sam was sitting in the driver's seat waiting for her. "Sorry!" she said as she dumped her bag into the boot.

"So nice of you to join McNally."

"Sorry." He waited for her to get in and buckle up an showed her a dazzling smile as she did. "What?"

"Ready?"

"Yeah."

"Okay then, as long as you are ready, let's go!"

They drove to their spot in silence. Sam parked the car so they would have a good pull out angle if they needed to chase, but also so they were highly visible, which would result in slower traffic as a whole. He went to the trunk, grabbed the radar gun then climbed back into the car and passed it to Andy.

"You've used one of these before right?" he asked.

"Yeah, anyways, I thought I was reintroducing you!" she said and tried to smile but he just looked at her until her smile faded and she looked away. "Yeah, yeah I've used this before." She took the gun and turned it over looking for the on switch.

"You need to attach the pack," he said and he handed it to her as well.

"I know." She slid the pack into place, having to turn it over twice before it fit in. Sam watched her and she felt his eyes burning. It made her nervous and her fingers became fidgety. "So eh should I use it here, out the window, or do I need the tripod?"

"Your ball game."

Andy got out of the car and went to the trunk. She took out the tripod and set it up at the back of the car. She set up the radar gun and turned it on. Then she sat back into the car and accessed it with the car computer.

"Okay, I set it up. I'll eh, I'll just be out here… monitoring it."

"Go for it."

Sam pulled a pair of shades out of his pocket and slipped them on, then tilted his head back and settled into his seat.

"Sam…we should talk."

"Do you need more instructions for the radar?" He looked at her over the rim of his shades.

"No, I mean we should talk, about what happened on Friday."

"Friday?"

"When you came to my place." He was being deliberately obtuse and it was driving her mad.

"Oh…really, that warrants a whole conversation, huh?"

"Sam, why are you being like this? It's not that I didn't want to kiss you," she began but he cut her off.

"So you did want to kiss me then? Funny, how that worked out."

"I tried to explain to you-"

"Forget it McNally. A kiss shouldn't need explaining." He put his shades back into place and settled back into his seat. "If it does, you are doing it wrong. Which it turns out we clearly were."

Andy looked at him for a minute then got out of the car. She closed the door behind her and stood at the back. The late summer heat was still quite high but anything was preferable than sitting in the car next to him.

* * *

Some shifts were longer than others, some just felt longer. Today was a regular 8 hour shift but Andy felt like she had been out for twice that. When they pulled up at the division she jumped out even before Sam had put the car into park. She snatched her bag and grabbed it over her shoulder then took the radar gun case and hefted that out of the boot, before she slammed the boot closed.

"Whoa! These beauties have to last us another couple of years, go easy." Andy shot him a glare and walked by, the radar case was heavy and cumbersome and it impeded her escape. Sam was walking behind her and tried to take the case. "I'll take it."

"I got it." She refused to let it go and instead struggled up the steps to the door but she didn't have her security swipe handy. She had to put the case down while she looked for it.

"Here, let me." He lifted the case and reached over her to swipe his own key over the lock. The door buzzed loudly and he pushed it open, not caring that she was in the way and he practically had to put his arms around her to do so.

As soon as it was open enough Andy bolted. She went straight to the sign out desk and finished her shift, then to the locker room to change.

Sam carried the case into the bullpen put it onto the floor nest to his desk. He took the gun out and hooked it up to the computer to download all the recordings they made. Behind him Oliver was sitting at his own desk doing the same.

"Get many?" Oliver asked.

"A few. You?"

"Couple."

"Ready?"

"Wait… Diaz, man printer 1, Epstien, take printer 2!" the two rookies hurried over to the printing station. "Printing in 3…2…1…go!"

They both hit the button to print at two different printers. A small crowd had gathered as they carried the sheets back. Noelle wheeled the white board over and split it into 2 columns.

"Okay guys…anything 5 miles over the limit counts, double points if its 10 miles over. Shaw how many between 5 and 10?"

"17!" Shaw said triumphantly.

"Swarek?"

"12."

Shaw let out a whoop of triumph and balled his fist into the air.

"Your move Shaw… drivers that were 10 miles per hour over the limit?"

"6."

"Double points makes 12, giving you a grand total of 29!" Noelle said then she turned to Sam. "And holding at 12 means you need a minimum of 9 drivers at double points to beat him… Sam, what's your number?"

Sam looked down at his sheet then slowly lifted his head. "8." He crumpled up his page an tossed at Oliver who hit is with his head like a soccer ball.

"Weh-heyyyy!" he roared out in triumph and proceeded to do a victory dance around Sam, who stood still and let him have his moment. "At 5 dollars a point and a grand total of 29 points, that means you owe me…one hundred and forty five big ones!"

Sam took out his wallet. He opened it and leafed through the notes. Oliver held his hand out, palm up and counted along out loud as Sam put notes into it.

"Fifty….one hundred…one twenty…one thirty…one forty…one forty five!"

Everyone applauded and Sam and Oliver shook hands.

"Now, you coming to the penny to help me spend this?" Oliver said as he wafted the bundle of notes in Sam's face.

"You know it." They walked towards the lockers rooms to change just as Andy was coming out of the ladies, already changed.

She was fixing her earphones in and walked right into the both of them.

"Still not watching where you are going McNally?" Sam said and he smiled at her. She glared up at him and tried to go by but he stepped aside to stay in her way as oliver continued into the locker room. "Rushing off?"

"Yeah." She tried to walk around him, but again he stepped into her way.

"Not coming to the penny to celebrate?"

"Celebrate what?" For a third time she tried to move around him but he persisted.

"We got a lot of collars today."

"Speeding tickets you mean?"

"It all counts. Not to mention the countless lives we saved by being out there, being visible."

"What did you swallow a phrase book?"

Sam smiled. He had his thumbs hooked into his belt, his elbow resting on his gun and she wasn't sure but she thought he was puffing but his chest.

"Just proud to be doing my part." He rocked back on his heels and broadened his smile.

"You seem to be back to your old self." She said and she untangled her earphones and slipped the left one in. "Good to have you back, _sir_." She emphasised the word "sir" then put in the other earphone and left.

Sam turned to watch her go, shook his head. She was incredible he thought, but he was pretty sure she had made it very clear she wasn't interested in what he was offering. He was trying to smooth things over, trying to treat her like he did before…before everything. Not just with her, but with everyone. Everyone just seemed to expect it. Nothing should change, he survived so he should just get on with it. So that's what he was trying to do.

Subconsciously Sam lifted his right sleeve and itched the scars that ran along his arm. He closed his eyes over and the silhouetted image of her leaning over him as he lay bleeding on the roof came flooding back. He gritted his teeth and tried to push it back, then followed Oliver into the locker room.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N**: Shorter chapter than normal guys, sorry bout that but it was a nice point to end on. More later.

~ Thanks for all the amazing reviews! I love it when I make you guys angry! (in a good way, as opposed to "Oh my got this writing is so bad I'm getting angry!")

* * *

Andy turned the treadmill up faster and increased the incline. Her legs were aching and she was sure they would give in at any minute but it felt good. Officer Andrews was across the room doing chin ups but the rest of the gym was empty. The day shift still had 2 hours to go and the night shift would only start to make an appearance at the last possible moment. Andy had been home and slept for a few hours but it wasn't restful. She tried to force the issue but only got more and more frustrated so she found herself in the police gym 2 hours before she even needed to be near the building.

She had worked on the cycle, lifted weights and punched the bag until her arms were going to fall off, but running was what she enjoyed most. Oblivion, just contact between her feet and the floor in a soothing steady rhythm. She had turned her music up and had chosen a fast rock album and she just ran. But despite it all, despite the pain in her legs, the sting in her lungs, the loud music and steady rhythm she couldn't get him out of her mind.

Or the sensation of his lips on hers.

It had been three weeks since he had kissed her. He had been acting like nothing had happened and that was driving her crazy. She wanted to talk but he wasn't interested. He was never interested in talking anyway and now that she was trying to talk about something personal he was even more obstinate. She watched him interacting with the rest of the division, joking and laughing. Strutting around the Division like nothing had changed. But it had changed. He had changed and she saw it.

He always wore a long sleeve shirt under his uniform, no matter the weather. He never rolled up his right sleeve, sometimes ending up with the left one rolled up past his elbow and the right one low and tight at his wrist. She had seen him sitting in his truck changing the bandages on his arm even though she knew his scar would be fully healed by now and there would be no need for a bandage any more. Sometimes in the penny she would see him sitting alone and when he thought no one was watching, the façade would slip and she would see something there. Something unfamiliar, foreign to his face. She wanted to go over and ask him, talk to him, force him to talk to her but it was no use. Sam wasn't a talker. He never was, at least not with her.

Sam arrived at the division and sat in the car park for a moment. He let his head roll back on the headrest and closed his eyes. Something had settled in the pit of his stomach and he wasn't able to shake it. It had been weighing him down for a few weeks so he was fighting it the only way he knew how. By beating it up.

Sam grabbed his gym bag and locked the car up. He changed in the locker room and was strapping up his hands as he walked to the gym. When he walked in and saw her on the treadmill it was all he could do not to turn around and walk out. But instead he shot her a wide toothy grin and walked over to the punching bag. He kept his back to her and started to punch, kept his feet steady, moving his waist to duck and dive as he swung punch after punch into the heavy bag.

Andy watched him. Even now, in the gym he had long sleeved underarmour on under a blue vest. He had his hands strapped up but wasn't wearing gloves. She watched his swing, his punches and noticed he was still favouring his right arm. He swung harder with the left, lead with this left shoulder, almost as if he was protecting his right arm. She wanted to ask him about it but scoffed at the thought. Instead she slowed the threadmill down to a full stop. She climbed off and grabbed her towel and left.

Sam focused on the bag, the impact, the rhythm and how the tension seemed to slip from his body with every punch he threw. And despite all this, he knew the second she left the room. And so he punched harder, swung faster.

Showered and changed into uniform Andy went to the break room to get some food before the night shift parade. From this room she could see when Sam finished his work out and went into the men's locker room. He came out showered and changed and bee lined for the break room too.

"Hey copper."

"Hey." She sipped her coffee and stirred the bowl of oatmeal that sat untouched in front of her.

"Ready for another night on the streets?"

"Yep."

Sam made his coffee and reached into the press for the oatmeal pack but before he could start getting it ready Frank put his head in the door and knocked on the wall.

"Hey, Swarek… can I have a word?"

"Sure thing boss." Sam smiled at Andy then followed Frank to his office.

Andy finished her oatmeal and washed out her bowl. Then walked into the parade room where everyone was starting to gather. She could still see Sam and Frank in his office. Frank was leaning on his own desk and Sam was sitting in the chair in front of it. Frank seemed to be talking animatedly but Sam sat still, listening to whatever he was saying.

"What's goin on over there?" Andy turned to see Traci taking a seat beside her.

"I dunno. Frank called him in a minute ago."

"Looks intense. Maybe another UC role for Swarek?"

"Maybe."

She watched as Frank stood away from the desk and held out his hand to Sam. Sam stood and they shook. Frank patted him on the shoulder as he shook Sam's hand and they both walked out together, towards the parade room. Sam took his usual spot near the door at the back, as Frank took up residence at the podium. Andy tried to catch Sam's eye but he seemed to be looking at everything else other than her.

"Okay coppers. Settle down." Frank waved his arms to get the attention of the room. "First night of a night shift rotation is always the worst. And for it to be a Friday is just a cosmic injustice."

A murmur of laughter trickled around the room.

"There is one new active BOLO so take a sheet and get familiar with this face. Those on patrol keep central, stay close to the scenes where the revellers are. Remember the best cure for crime is…?"

"Prevention!" the room responded.

"Okay, rotations on the board," Frank said and everyone started to get up and leave the room but he wasn't finished. "Before we all go, can I just take a minute to say that despite my best efforts to convince him otherwise, this is the last shift for Officer Swarek at 15 for a while."

This time it was the sound of shock that traversed the room and everyone turned to see Sam standing by the door, his head tilted to the side, and a tight smile on his face.

"As of tomorrow he is transferring to Division 4 for a rotation with guns and gangs." Loads of people started clapping. "So let's send him off knowing what he's missing. Serve and protect and come home safe."

"Well done Sammy!" Oliver called out and slapped him on the back. A stream of well-wishers came up and congratulated him. He shook hands and smiled but all the while he was watching Andy. She stared back, the shock plain on her face.

"Oh my god…" Traci was standing behind her. "Did you know about this?"

"No, he never said."

Sam left the room and went over to the coffee station where Oliver joined him.

"You sure this is what you want brother?" he spoke softly.

"Yes." Sam stirred his coffee and attached the lid but before he could walk off Oliver grabbed his elbow and held him in place. "Seems to me like you are running away."

"Not running away, craving a change of scene."

"Thought you didn't want to man the wire rooms while you waited for turn with guns and gangs?"

"I guess I was kidding myself thinking they'd take me in without the hard graft." Sam slapped his friend on the back, smiled then walked off.

Andy checked the board and noticed she was in booking for the night and wasn't sure if she was relived or not. She saw Sam was riding with Oliver and wondered if he had requested it for his last shift. Out in the bullpen she watched them talking by the coffee station and when Sam walked away she hurried to catch up with him.

"Sam…Sam…" she caught him by the back door but he kept walking.

"What's up McNally?"

"You're transferring to Division 4?"

"You ever thought about being a detective?"

"Why?"

"Because you are so astute." He smiled at her; put his coffee on the roof of the car as he searched for his keys.

"I mean why are you transferring?"

"Spot opened up; I need it if I want to join Guns and Gangs."

"You said you would prefer to work the streets than man the wires. That's what you'll be doing in Division 4 isn't it?"

"Probably." He unlocked the car and opened the door then turned to her with one foot already in.

"What's going on Sam? This all has to do with what happened on the roof, doesn't it?"

"What?" he sat into the car but she wouldn't let him close the door.

"Everything since that day has been different. _You've_ been different."

"McNally-"

"Sam you nearly died. You nearly fell off the roof. You nearly bled to death."

"I know. I was there." His smile was more of a grimace and she read right through it.

"Now you are carrying round that scar," she pointed at his right arm that was leaning on the steering wheel. "And all it does is remind you of what happened. That's why you keep it covered up all the time, so you can just pretend nothing has changed."

Sam watched her. He kept his face blank and let her speak. He didn't trust himself to talk not when his anger was so close to the surface so he just watched her.

"So now instead of facing up to all this, you are running away from it. It can't be the reason you do these things Sam." She stopped talking and they both just stared at each other. Other cars in the lot were leaving, coppers meeting and chatting, joking around before they hit the streets but Andy and Sam just stared.

"Are you finished?" he said eventually.

"Sam…"

"Sorry McNally, I can't stay here and chat, I have to run away and face up to catching some bad guys." He tugged on the door. She held it a moment longer then let go and turned to walk back into the division. She passed Oliver in the doorway but just brushed past to go to the booking desk.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N**: Back at work guys (Boooo!) which means I'm back to doing single daily updates (double Boooo!)

~Thanks for the amazing reviews.

* * *

Sam hefted his bag over his shoulder and tugged on the strap to tighten it. He locked his truck and walked through the car lot to enter Division 4. Instead of walking through lock-up he went around the building to the front entrance so he could meet the Staff Sgt before setting himself up for the day. The officer on the front desk seemed to be expecting him and recognised him as soon as he walked in.

"Officer Swarek." She was young, redhead and had a smile that didn't seem to have a dimmer switch.

"Yeah." Sam was taken aback by the recognition but tried not to show it.

"Staff Sgt Andrews told me to expect you." She looked him up and down unabashedly. Then back up to his face and flashed him another smile. "He is waiting for you in his office. Here is your security swipe; you can go right on through. I'm Officer Fiona Reed, let me know if you need anything, anything at all. Welcome to Division 4."

"Thanks." Sam smiled politely with a nod as he took the swipe the officer held out and walked into the bullpen. It was all very familiar despite it being his first time in this division. It was the same atmosphere, the same bustle that he was used to and enjoyed in Division 15. Uniformed cops, detectives in suits, and people in gym clothes, all milling about, going about their day. He caught a few curious glances as he walked through to go to the main office but he figured it would be a few days before that died down. Before they had all managed to approach him and ask him the burning questions that they were all contemplating behind his back. He spotted Andrews sitting at his desk and knocked on the door before pushing it open.

"Ah Officer Swarek." Andrews came around his desk to meet him and shake Sam's hand. "Welcome to Division 4." He was an elderly heavy set man. Sam knew he had been in this position for way longer than any other Staff Sgt in other divisions but he also knew he has passed up many promotions.

"Thank you , sir."

"So, I was surprised you put in for the transfer." Sam was surprised by his forthrightness but Andrews wasn't looking for a response as he continued to talk. "I've been hearing great things about the work you've been doing out at 15." As he spoke Andrews leaned back on his desk and crossed his legs at his ankles.

"Thank you sir." Sam bypassed the open question about why he was transferring and instead just thanked him for the compliment.

"You understand that it's mainly grunt work we have for you? Not too much street time and loads of paperwork."

"Yes sir. I spoke in depth to Detective Reynolds about the position."

"Staff Sgt Best mentioned that you are trying to work your way up into Guns and Gangs." Sam nodded. "Well this is certainly the best way to go about it. We've set up a desk for you and Detective Reynolds is going to go through the cases you'll be working on."

"Great, I'm eager to get started." Sam smiled and Andrew s went to open the door.

"Well let's get goin then."

Andrews walked with Sam through the bullpen and into the parade room that was quickly filling up. They walked to the top of the room and a hush fell over the gathered crowd.

"Alright people. Monday, September and the universities are back! What does this mean? Doyle?"

"Frat Hazing." A young officer at the front called out.

"Correct. Last year the Coast guard fished 4 kayakers out of the bay, all dressed in togas with Phi Epsilon or something on their chests. Not to mention two statues being beheaded and one city bus being stolen. So eyes open people. And finally, we have a new edition to the division, Officer Sam Swarek has joined us to help with Detective Reynolds cases in Guns and Gangs so please help him to feel welcome." A scattered applause went round the room and Sam acknowledged it with a wave and a smile. "Alright, protect and serve, and stop those college kids from wrecking my god dammed city!"

As the room emptied Detective Kevin Reynolds came over and shook hands with Swarek. "Officer Swarek, great to have you."

"Thanks, and its Sam."

"There are two cases in particular that you are going to be working on." Kevin gestured for Sam to follow and he walked out of the parade room over towards a closed office. The room was about 12ft sq and had two desks. Each desk had a computer and the walls were covered with various pictures from different case files. "This will be your desk, and the main file you are going to be working on is the Adams Case."

"Phillip Adams?"

"You know it?"

"Not everything. But he's been bringing guns in on the tourism route. Chartered boats from the US, full of guests. I think he was involved in the case up in Blind River?"

"Yeah one and the same but he walked on that case. This time we have him selling gun parts through separate companies that we believe are all part of the same corporation."

"Right I see."

"But to prove that we need to show paper trails. Each customer is buying a gun and the parts are seen to be sold from a different company, but in fact it's a single transaction. We have database of sales that needs to be sifted through. And about one hundred and twenty three hours of phone conversations that need to be heard and documented." Sam nodded his head as he sat down at the computer and started it up. Kevin looked like he was about to leave the room but instead he paused, turned to face Sam with his hands on his hips and spoke again. "This case, this rotation will probably last about 5 or 6 months. I spoke with Detective Boyd about the work you were doing UC with him and he was surprised you came sniffing for this transfer, rather than calling him for a position directly. Is there eh, is there something I should know?"

"No, just looking for a change of scenery." Sam gave him all the answer he was willing to share.

"I heard about the incident a few months back. That must have been tough."

"All part and parcel of wearing the badge."

"Dunno about that. Well at any rate, it's clearly going to work to our benefit here at Div4. Good to have you Sam."

"Thank you."

"We'll take you out for beers tonight and show you the ropes in the bar. Until then if you need anything you know where I am."

Sam watched as Kevin left the room then sat back in his chair and puffed the air out of his mouth. The room was stuffy even with the air con on, there was one large window that looked out onto the bullpen, the other walls were covered with various notices and pictures. He kept expecting her to walk by the window, smile and wave, even walk in through the open door and hand him a coffee. But none of the faces out there were familiar. Sam shook his head and focused on the task he was given.

* * *

Andy opened the back door and helped the man out of the patrol car. He struggled against her grasp but she held fast and guided him into lockup where Chris was manning the desk. Andy put her perp into the stool by the wall and cuffed him to the pole. Without looking up Chris came over with his clipboard and pen ready.

"Hey Chris, this guy tried to hold up Marty's Pharmacy."

"Marty's on Bremner?" Chris asked, finally looking up to see the man she brought in. He was about 6ft 4 and had to be 250lbs. He was wearing a pair of shorts and a tank top, showing off all the muscles he had worked on. His head was shaved and he had a cut on the side of his head.

"Yeah!" Andy was laughing.

"You must be new in town…" Chris bent down into the perp's face. "No one holds up Marty's! Name?"

"Fuck you." the perp said though gritted teeth.

"Is that your surname or your Christian name?"

Andy was laughing as she filled out her end of the paperwork at the desk. "He wouldn't give me a name either. No wallet or ID when I searched him. He came in on his own, walked right up to the counter and tried to rob it."

"With a weapon?"

"No."

"Amateur hour!" Chris leaned down to get a better look at the cut on his head. "Shouldn't you have taken him to the hospital?"

"He refused medical treatment on scene, EMT cleared him for the arrest."

"Okay, Mr F You, welcome to division 15." Chris opened the cell, uncuffed him from the wall and put him in.

"You have it from here?" Andy asked.

"Yeah, thanks."

Andy signed the pass off sheet, went in to the bull pen and started to walk to the coffee station where she could see Traci getting herself a drink. But before she could talk to her she caught Frank trying to get her attention from the door to his office. He was waving for her to join him. Traci had noticed this just now an shrugged as Andy walked past her.

"Sir?" she said as she walked in to the office. Franck gestured for her to take a seat and only then she noticed that there was another person in the room. It was a tall slender woman, who was well dressed and carrying a thick file.

"McNally, you were involved in that bust up on Dundas last night?"

"Yes sir."

"There has been…a complaint of conduct." Andy was too shocked to reply. Frank watched the shock and fear cross her features. "An investigation has started."

"Conduct? Mine? Who made the complaint?"

"One of the young men you brought in. Jarvis Morton is claiming that you used excessive force."

"Excessive force?"

Andy recalled the arrest and within seconds it all ran through her head. Three men were found to be selling drugs in a bar. Shaw had chased one down the street and she chased another down an alley, the third had gotten away. When she caught up to Morton he was trying to climb a crumbling wall into a car lot but she jumped up to grab his trousers to pull him down but before she could grab him the wall fell. It crumpled under his substantial weight into a pile of bricks. He was covered with cuts and bruises but seemed otherwise ok.

"For the duration of this investigation you will be on paid leave, and you will need to surrender your badge and gun."

Andy sat lifeless in her seat.

The lady in the corner, who had remained silent until now, walked over and took the seat beside Andy. She opened the file in her lap and started to put the photos into a line on the table.

"He suffered a broken nose, severe lacerations on his back, legs and arms, two separate head wounds with a possible concussion."

"A wall fell on him!" Andy exclaimed. "I put it in my arresting report. He refused medical treatment. Officer Shaw was witness to that."

"Officer Shaw will be part of the investigation. But until then you are to have no communication with him. You will surrender your gun and your badge and you will leave the division immediately. We will arrange escort-"

"Now, that will not be necessary." Frank spoke up. He was watching Andy throughout the whole conversation. Her face went through a turmoil of emotions. "Andy, do you need a ride home?"

"Eh no sir, I'll be fine."

She stood up slowly and pulled her badge off the belt clip. She reached for her gun but Frank waved for her to stop.

"Surrender it to the weapons room."

"Of course." she said as she stood and brushed down the front of her uniform. "Is that all?"

"Yes. We'll be in touch about the investigation. You'll need to provide a statement."

"Thank you, sir."

She walked out of the room and like she was wading through treacle she made her way through the bullpen and into the weapons room. She removed the ammo and cocked the barrel then fired the empty chamber into the bucket then locked it in the right locker and surrendered the key to the supervising officer. As she made her way back to the locker room to change out of her uniform she saw Traci waving at her with a smile from her desk but she couldn't stop. She knew the minute she stopped she would crumple like that wall and fall to pieces.

As soon as she was changed she was out on the street hailing a cab. She called out her own address first then changed it to her dads. Surprised that she was still holding it together she paid for the cab an hurried up the stoop to her dads house.

"Dad," she called out when there was no answer to the knock on the door. "Dad, its Andy!" but still no reply. She pulled out her mobile phone and dialled his number. He answered it almost immediately and spoke in hushed tones.

"Honey, I can't talk right now."

"Dad, where are you?"

"I'm at St Catherines at the night meeting. It's just about to start."

"Oh right, yeah. Sorry Dad."

"Everything ok honey?"

"Yeah, yeah sure, everything is fine."

"Okay, I'll call you tomorrow."

Her father killed the call and Andy started to walk home but before she got to the end of the block her phone rang in her hands. She looked down to see Traci's name on the caller ID. She didn't want to answer it, not yet, not until she had figured it all out herself, but this was Traci.

"Hello."

"Andy! Oh my god. Jerry just told me what happened! "

"Yeah."

"Don't worry about it, he says this kind of thing happens a lot, and it blows over in no time." Andy couldn't respond. She didn't have the words or right now, the power of coherent thought. "Look Andy you shouldn't be alone tonight."

"I'm fine Traci, I just need to go home, and go to bed."

"No seriously, I can call round; my shift is over in three hours."

"Traci," Andy forced a laugh. "I'll be asleep by then."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

"Okay, tomorrow then. Dinner?"

"Sure"

"Good night honey, try to get some sleep."

Andy finished the call and before she could put her phone away it rang again but the number that came up wasn't in her contacts.

"Andy, its Oliver… Oliver Shaw."

"Oh...hi."

"Look, I know you were told not to talk to me, but I just wanted to let you know that everything is going to be ok."

"Yeah, I've been hearing that a lot."

"That's because it's true. We've all been through this, it might be your first, but it probably won't be your last…"

"Are you trying to cheer me up or scare me?"

"I just want you to know that I know this guy hasn't a leg to stand on in regards to these claims. You're a great officer McNally, don't you dare start to think otherwise."

"Thank you sir."

"Okay, I'll stop breaking the rules now and let you get one with it. Chin up."

"Yes sir."

Andy felt her resolve dissolving as she closed the call and she stared at the phone in her hand. It had been two weeks since Sam left. Two weeks since she heard from him or anything about him. She was sure Oliver and Jerry were still in touch with him but she hadn't heard anything about him. She was equally sure Oliver was keeping any news he had from her, not maliciously, but in an effort to protect her. Now she was standing in the street, looking at the phone in her hands and as if she had no power to stop it, she dialled his number.

It rang once, twice, three times, and she was already regretting her traitorous fingers. But she couldn't hang up. Her heart was hammering against her chest. She was dreading his response, but by the same token she was craving it. When it went to his voicemail she started to leave a message but when she opened her mouth the words failed her and she hung up. She shoved the phone into her pocket and walked home as fast as she could.

* * *

Sam sat at the corner of the bar with a beer in one hand and his phone in the other. He looked down at the flashing name on the screen. "Andy McNally." His thumb hovered over the accept button but something was stopping him. He continued to stare at it, as the call ended and it went to his voicemail and even then he held it in his hand.

"Hey, Swarek, you playing or what?"

Shaken out of his reverie, Sam looked up to take the pool cue that was being offered to him by Fiona Reed. When he took the proffered end she didn't let go, and instead pulled him towards her for a kiss. His free hand wrapped around her back to hold her close and he smiled as they parted.

"Your shot, we're stripes."

She turned him to face the pool table and smacked him on the butt as he walked over to take his shot.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N**: Firstly sorry about the delayed update... I got distracted, but you guys get a longer chapter to reward your patience and awesome reviewing!

~ I tried not to make Fiona Reed horrible but I don't think I succeeded. I kinda hate her.

~ Excuse the typos... its 1.30am and I'm wrecked!

* * *

Sam pushed the heel of his hands into his eyes to block out all the light. White spots appeared before him as he dropped his hands and let his head roll back over his shoulders with a moan. For three weeks he hadn't seen the outside of this room. For three weeks he had been sifting through database searches, listening to recorded phone calls and ticking all the boxes for this investigation. And for what? He thought and he lifted his head back up and looked at the computer screen again.

"Nothing." He said aloud.

"Talking to yourself Swarek?"

Sam didn't need to turn round to know it was Fiona standing at the door, or that she had a coffee for him in her hand. It has become a routine of theirs. He would arrive into work first and go straight to his office, she would arrive shortly afterwards and bring him a coffee.

It has started on his first day and she had taken control from then. And he let her. It was nice not to have to think about anything. No one asking him what he was thinking about, what he was planning to do with his life, or looking for reasons for what he was doing now. It was soothing, he told himself. Soothing.

She walked across the room and placed a hand on his shoulder. As she leaned forward to put his coffee on the table, she let her hand run down and over his chest, pressed her breasts into the back of his neck and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Morning."

"Already saw you this morning." He leaned forward to pick up his coffee, deliberately staying sat forward and out of her reach.

"Yeah you did and it was a hell of a wake up if I do say so myself." She came round and sat on her hands, on the edge of his desk, letting her legs swing beneath it, and purposely bushed them off his legs. "So are you going to join us at MacTurkles tonight?"

"I dunno Fi, I'm pretty wrecked."

"Awwww Sammy!" She pouted her lips, locked her arms and squeezed her breasts together.

Sam looked up and couldn't help but smile. She was shameless, a welcome reprieve from the usual people he dated.

"Well I'll see."

"You should come. Reynolds has been slagging off your pool playing skills."

"I've never lost to him."

"That's not what he is saying." Sam smiled, sipped his coffee then sat back into his chair with a sigh. "So you'll come?"

"I'll see how today goes. I have a lot to get through."

"I dunno how you do this, day in day out." She looked at the data on his screen with distaste.

"Are you on the front desk again?"

"No I'm on patrol today with Mark."

"Okay, well be careful out there."

"Alright I get it. I know a brush off when I hear one." She jumped off the desk but before she left she leaned down to press a kiss to his lips. "I'll see you later. Don't work too hard."

She sashayed out of the room, adding that extra swagger to her hips, but Sam wasn't watching. He was sitting back in his chair, his hands covering his face.

* * *

Andy sat back in her couch and stretched her legs out in front of her. She was dressed in check PJ bottoms and a blue tank top. She had a glass of wine in one hand and the TV remote in the other. She flicked continuously through the channels, settling on nothing her focus not even on the screen.

After being at the precinct that morning to give her statement Andy felt so small walking back out. People came up and offered her support, she took it with a smile, accepted the hands that were held out to her to shake and managed to get out of there without swiping her arms across every desk she walked by, clearing it in her wake. Barely.

She had spent the rest of the afternoon working out her frustrations. She jogged over to the gym, punched the bag for a few hours then practically sprinted back. Frank had called to say that it her statement went down well, it matched up with what Oliver had to say and the medical reports that were provided. But the investigation had to go through the motions. And as comforting as this was, she couldn't relax until she was back in uniform. So she found herself moping in front of the TV. Nothing held her attention.

Then there was a knock on her door. Andy let her eyes travel to the door but didn't call out. The knock was repeated.

"Ugh…" Andy pushed herself up, and walked over to the door. She peeked through the spy hole but it was covered. "Who is it?"

"Andy it's me, Traci."

Andy frowned, pulled the door open and understood only then why her friend covered the peep hole. Traci was standing in the hallway wearing a slinky black and silver dress. She was made up to the nines and was carrying a bottle of wine.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to drag you out of those PJs and get you out!"

"Oh Traci…not tonight!" Andy closed the door and dragged herself back to the couch to resume the position she was in before. "I'm not in the mood!"

"You're not in the mood because you won't let yourself be, c'mon!" she took Andy's hand and pulled her off the couch with a grunt. She led her into the bed room then pushed her onto the bed. Traci passed her the bottle of wine and told Andy to open it while she rummaged in her closet. "Now, I was talking to Gail an she got us tickets into the opening of a new club on Queen st."

"A club? No Trace please!"

"But at this club there is a bit of a dress code…so this…" Traci turned and waved at what Andy was wearing. "This won't do." She concentrated on Andy's closet and pulled a short baby blue tight dress out and held it up. "But this… this is perfect! Put it on!" Traci swiped the bottle of wine out of Andy's hand and dropped the dress into her lap.

"Trace-"

Traci held up a hand and ignored her plea as she opened the screw lid off the bottle and pour a healthy portion into the glass Andy was holding. Andy knew a losing battle when she was fighting one so she acquiesced to Traci's wishes. She went into the bathroom and stripped down, pulled on the dress then went back to Traci to get zipped up. It was a snug fit, clung to her curves, had pinafore style straps, a low cut back and came down to just above her knees.

"Lovely! Now shoes!" Traci handed Andy the glass of wine before she dove into the cupboard to pick out her shoes. "Heels…strappy heels, it has to be with that dress!" she called out over her shoulder then exclaimed as she found what she was looking for. She came back to Andy and dropped the shoes at her feet and took the glass back off her to top it up and take a drink. Andy put the shoes on then Traci pushed her towards the bathroom. "Make up."

Before long they had finished the wine, Andy had finished her make-up and they were out on the street hailing a cab. Traci pulled out her phone that was ringing and answered it as a cab pulled up.

"Hey Gail!...yeah we just got in a cab…Queen street and George," she said to the cabbie, then turned her attention back to the phone call. "We should be there in about ten or fifteen minutes…what?" Traci looked shocked, Andy turned to look at her but Traci started smiling and then laughing. "Really? You have to be kidding me?...ok, ok I'll do it. Yeah see you in there!"

"What?"

"Gail got the tickets but we have to use different names to use them."

"What names?"

"Vanessa Redgrave and Maria Hopkins."

"Wait…I know those names."

"They are journalists for "The Scene" magazine."

"Trace! No one is going to believe we are journalists!"

"Oh Andy lighten up! They don't care, they just want hot women in their club, and we certainly fit that description!"

They both laughed and Andy tried to settle back into the cab ride, and not crave her couch too much,

* * *

Sam lined up his shot. There were three striped balls scattered on the table, two of them covering pockets, the other in the centre. The black ball was near one of the covered pockets but Sam lined it up in an effort to pot it. The black ball bounced lightly off the cushion, moved the striped ball then slotted neatly into the hole. Sam stood up straight and accepted the jumping hug form Fiona with a smile.

"Well played." Reynolds came around the table and shook his hand then handed him a couple of notes. "God dammit I thought I had you in that last one."

"Wanna try again? Double or nothing?" Sam asked as he slipped the money into his pocket.

"You know if I keep doubling up I'll end up signing my house over to you."

"Nice place?"

"Lovely…but the bank owns most of it!" He patted Sam on the shoulder and finished the dregs of his pint. "Right, let's get out of here."

Sam turned to see Fiona holding out his coat. She finished her own cocktail and reached for his glass of whiskey.

"C'mon Sam, drink up," she said as she passed him his drink.

"What? Where is everyone going?"

He hadn't planned on coming to MacTurkles but was persuaded when Fiona said it was Reynolds birthday and they were celebrating. One drink turned into two, then three and four. And now the forth was being forced down his throat as he was pushed out the door. They had walked to the bar from the division and now he watched Reynolds and three others get into a cab as Fiona hailed another one for the rest of them.

"We're going to a club."

"Whoa!" Sam backed away, and started to put his coat on. "I'm not going to a club! Are you serious?"

A cab stopped and Fiona pulled the door open. The two other officers with them jumped in and Fiona held her hand out for Sam to join.

"Sam! C'mon!"

"Fiona I'm not going to a club! I don't go to clubs!"

"Sam don't be ridiculous, Its Kevin's birthday, you have to come!"

"No I don't!" His laughter was without mirth as he buttoned up his coat and continued to walk back away. Fiona leaned into the cab and asked for them to wait and she hurried up to him.

"Sam, it's not a real club," she grabbed the lapels of his coat and reached up on tip toes to kiss him. "It's more like a late bar, we just need to go for one…" she let her tongue appear and licked his lips, pushed it past them and caressed the inside of his mouth. "Then we can go back to my place…and I'll show you my gratitude!" She pressed her body against his then slowly lowered it, letting her breasts drag over his chest.

"Okay…for one. But I'm not paying into this place…they charge enough for drinks as it is…" he mumbled as she dragged him into the cab and pushed him in.

* * *

The music was incredibly loud and Andy was delighted she didn't have to talk. Traci was at the bar buying drinks, Gail was on the dance floor destroying the ego of any man who dared dance with her and Andy was leaning on the balcony trying to blend in. But she wasn't feeling it. When Traci appeared with their drinks Andy tried to smile but Traci saw right through it.

"Nope…not tonight McNally!" She draped he hand over her friends shoulder and hugged her close. "Tonight is about letting go, having fun and forgetting our worries!"

"Trace-"

"No…you heard me, drink up!" Traci forced her to drink up then waved her hand at the waiter for another round. "Now I spoke to Jerry, and I know Frank called you. The investigation is all but over you know you will be back at the division in no time."

"I just can't relax…not till I get back in uniform, get back to work."

"I know it's tough Andy but you should just try." Their drinks arrived and Traci paid then handed one to her. "Hey… hey…" she took her friends arm and squeezed it. "C'mon, forget all that, just try to have some fun with us!"

Andy sipped her drink and tried to smile.

"C'mon Andy, you can do better than that!" Traci nudged her friend. "Hell, look at Gail down there!" They both turned to see Gail dancing with two men. "You wanna dance?"

"No, I just want…" Andy struggled to finish her sentence.

"Swarek!" Traci exclaimed.

"What? No, I just want to go home, lie on the couch…"

"No! Any look! It's Sam!"

Sam let Fiona lead him into the bar and all his worst fears were confirmed. The music was loud, the air was dry and there was dry ice fog on the dance floor. Hell, there was a dance floor. Already Sam was craving his own couch. But they moved deeper into the club to a small cordoned off section where Reynolds was already sitting with drinks and more people than he had left the previous bar with.

Andy and Traci watched as Sam took off his coat and draped it across the back of the lounge chair. He seemed to talk with the group of people then looked around the room for the bar. Andy felt herself melt into the pillar she was standing next to, and willed herself to turn invisible. His eyes scanned the room but didn't seem to notice them. He spotted a small bar, at the other end of the room, and started to walk towards it but before he could disengage from the group a small red-headed woman grabbed his arm and tugged him back.

Traci took Andy's arm and tried to pull her away but Andy was stuck. Nothing would move her from where her feet were planted.

"Andy…"

They watched as the woman tugged Sam down to her height. She said something that made him smile, then she kissed him. One of his hands curled around her back to pull her closer and deepen the kiss then he let her go and went to the bar.

"Oh Andy, I'm so sorry."

"What? No, that's nothing…to do with me…" She turned away and took a long drink of the cocktail she had forgotten was in her hand.

"Do you want to go?" Andy didn't have the words so she just nodded her head. "Let me just go get Gail."

Sam stood at the bar awaiting his turn to be served and glanced around the room. The dance floor was sunken about three steps lower than the rest of the room, he guessed it was so people could look all the way across it some anywhere in the room. There were several bars scattered around the room, each of them well staffed so no one was waiting too long. Mirrors on the walls added depth to the room, making it feel bigger than it actually was but the loud music and dry ice seemed to have the opposite effect. At least for Sam. No one else seemed to mind, he thought as he ordered some drinks from the bartender.

When they were put in front of him he grabbed them in both hands and turned to walk back. The bar was crowded and he moved through it slowly as to not spill his drinks. But before he got to his table he noticed a scuffle across the room. Immediately he was on edge. It was what made him such a good cop. Instincts honed and trusted through years of use on the streets.

He looked over and saw two men cornering a woman by the end of a bar just out of sight of the bouncers. One of them had his hand flat against the wall, the other was leaning on it with his shoulder, effectively caging her in. It was dark and the flashing lights were in his eyes but Sam hurried to his own table, put down the drinks and pointed it out to Fiona.

"What's going on over there?"

Fiona looked over and shrugged.

"Looks like she is getting hit on."

Sam squinted, as if it would help him get a better look and saw the woman try to move away from the wall, only to get pushed back against it.

"No…no that's not being hit on…that's being harassed… I'll be right back."

He started to cross the room but the DJ changed the song and there was a sudden insurgence from the crowd to get to the dance floor. Sam waded through them, crossed the room and pulled on one of the guys shoulders.

"Hey…" the guy said, his fist was already clenched and he swung his arm in a wide arch towards Sam's face.

"Leave her alone…" Sam ducked under the swinging arm and landed a punch in the guy's ribs. He doubled over but tried to punch Sam while he was down. "Stop," Sam urged as he blocked the punch and grabbed the guys arm. He twisted his hand back in a thumb lock and forced the guy onto his knees, only then did he look up to see her.

Andy was pressed to the wall, a look of shock and terror on her face as she watched it all transpire before her in slow motion. When the guys first approached her at the pillar she has walked away. They managed to herd her into the corner and all of a sudden she was stuck. Her instinct to fight out of her corner was dampened down by the investigation she was facing at work. She didn't want to add weight to the accused by getting into a bar fight.

Sam's shock crossed his face almost visibly and the other guy took his chance and swung a punch. The punch landed on Sam's jaw and knocked him back enough that he release the other assailant. But he came back swinging. At this point Andy had regained control and was fighting alongside him.

It was only then that the bouncers noticed the scuffle, and hurried over. They pulled them all apart and dragged the four of them outside. Once on the pavement the two guys brushed off and walked away, leaving Andy and Sam standing in the street, out of breath from the fight and shock combined.

"What are you doing here?" he asked eventually as he dabbed at the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, and looked down to see blood stained there.

"Me? What are you doing here?" she bit back.

"I…I don't know…" he admitted with a smirk.

They were silent for a minute each of them staring at each other. Neither of them able to move or talk. She wanted to scream at him, shout, tell him everything that's been going on with her, ask about everything that's been going on with him then the image of him kissing that red head came crashing to the forefront of her mind.

Sam watched the chaos crinkle the features on her face and it was all he could do not to reach out and smooth it away.

"Are you okay?" he asked finally. "Did they hurt you?" he added then hoping she would understand what he meant.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I could have handled those jerks without your help."

Sam laughed humourlessly and it stung her ears. "I'm sure you could have Andy." He brushed off the front of his top, another long sleeved top she noticed, and wiped the corner of his mouth with his thumb to get rid of the blood. "See you around." He started to walk past her to try to get back into the bar. She touched his arm and he stopped, but didn't turn to face her.

"Sam…are you…" Her voice faltered, but her fingers dug into his arm tighter. "How are you?"

For a minute he didn't move or respond and she thought he was going to walk on. Then slowly he turned to face her and she looked up to meet his eyes but saw nothing there but anger.

"I'm fine." He spoke coldly and she let her hand drop off his arm and to her side.

"Okay Sam, I get it." She took a step back.

"You get it?" Again that laugh. "What is it you get Andy? tell me, I'd love to know." He was standing closer to her now, his voice was dripping with something she had never heard from him before.

"I get it, you're mad, you don't want anything to do with me, I'm sorry Sam, I'm sorry it ended like this."

"God Andy! You're so…" he had his hands out in front of him and slowly clenched them into fists. "Infuriating! You drive me mad!"

"Is that why you kissed her?" She couldn't believe the words passed her lips.

"I kissed her because you didn't want me to kiss you." He was standing in front of her, bent down enough to be face to face with her.

"I didn't want you to use me, doesn't mean I didn't want you at all."

A weighted silence fell between them, heavy with what they had just said, but heavier with what they had left unsaid. They stood stock still their breaths mingling his warm on her face, hers warm on his. Neither of them seemed to notice the audience they had.

"Sam?" Fiona stepped out of the club and hurried over towards him but stopped at the bottom of the stairs when she saw what was before her.

She was followed by Gail and Traci who hurried to join her. Traci had no problem interrupting the scene and rushed over to Andy's side

"Andy!" She said finally knocking them both out of their reverie. "Are you ok? The bouncer said you were in a fight?"

"I'm fine." She kept her eye on Sam as he stood up straight and took a step back.

He was the first to look away, braking contact and Andy could swear she heard something snap when he turned his back to her. Fiona closed the short distance between them and hugged him. He took the hug but kept walking, eager to put as much distance between him and Andy as he could.

"What happened in there?" Traci asked again but Andy didn't have the words.

"Sam Swarek is what happened in there," Gail said. She was still watching Sam walk away with the petite redhead tucked under his arm until Traci hailed a cab and they all jumped in to go home.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N**: Sorry this isn't such a long chapter. Again I've stayed up till after 1am to finish and feel like if I continue it will be at the cost of the quality. So also sorry that this kind of ends abruptly...

* * *

Sam sat on his couch with a glass of whiskey in one hand and his phone in the other. He hadn't stayed with Fiona last night, begging off with complaint of a thumping headache he left her at her apartment and walked the 23 blocks back to his own. He didn't mind the walk, and in fact craved it to clear his head but it was early morning before he got him. He immediately went to the cabinet and poured himself a stiff drink and had been sitting on his couch since. He watched the sun rise through the slotted blinds that cast linear shadows that across the room as the hours passed.

He was so deep in thought that when his phone rang in the utter silence of his apartment he barely reacted. Eventually he pulled it up to his head to answer.

"Hello."

"Sam? You home brother?" It was Oliver.

"Yeah. Sitting on the couch."

"Well answer the god damned door!" The door buzzed.

"Is that you?"

"Yeah! I've been ringing for ages!"

Sam hung up then pushed himself off the couch to go answer the door. Before he pulled it open he looked around the room to make sure it was presentable. Some clothes were strewn on the arm chair, his coat was on the floor by the couch where he dropped it. The coffee table was covered in cups and glasses and a half empty bottle of whiskey sat between them. He thought about stalling Oliver while he cleaned up a minute but instead he shrugged and pulled the door open.

"What's goin on man!" Oliver pushed in and closed the door behind him. "It's freezing out there."

"Sorry, I was asleep," Sam lies easily.

"Jeez…I know you didn't have a party," Oliver said as he walked in, sat onto the couch and spied the mess around him. "Because you would have invited me, so is this all you?"

"Yeah I guess." Sam fell onto the arm chair, not bothering to move the clothes that were beneath him.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"Nope." He lifted the whiskey to his lips and took a long drink.

"Okay, so wanna tell me about what happened last night?"

"Huh?" this caught Sam's attention and he turned to look at his friend. "What do you mean?"

"At the club?"

"What do you know?"

"God Sam, are you afraid to give up some new information I might not already know?" Oliver was joking but when he looked at Sam who was watching him through squinted eyes, the smile died on his lips.

"So what do you know?" Sam countered not giving an inch.

"I know that Nash came into work this morning saying how Andy was hassled in a bar, how she was roughed up, covered in bruises and you were there…"

"What? You don't think I-"

"No. Of course not. But what happened?"

"I didn't know it was her." He spoke softly. "I was coming back from the bar, I saw some lady getting harassed, I went over to help, and it was Andy. That's it. I dunno why she didn't just fight them off. She is more than capable."

"Jesus Sam. You are thick. With what she is going through?"

"From last night?" Sam was well and truly confused. Oliver wasn't making sense. He was sure it wasn't the first time Andy was hassled in a bar by two guys who thought they could get away with it.

"No you numb nuts! The investigation? Code of conduct?"

"What?" This caught his attention. Sam sat forward, put his glass on the table and his elbows on his knees.

"Didn't she tell you? Traci was sure she would have told you…"

"Told me what for god's sake!" Sam shouted, unable to keep a lid on it anymore.

"She is under investigation for using excessive force during arrest."

"Excessive force? That's bullshit, she would never-"

"Of course it's bullshit! But the investigation has to carry through to completion. She has been suspended until it's over."

"Oh god!" Sam covered his face with is hands as the realisation sank in. He knew the impact this would have had on her. Her job was everything she had. She kept so many things at bay, tried her hardest to be the one and only thing she could rely on and focused on her job and now that was gone too. He felt his heart sinking further into the pit of his stomach where it churned and made him feel ill.

"You didn't know?"

"No, no of course I didn't know."

"Oh…sorry brother."

"That's ok, thanks for telling me" Sam stood up and started to pace the room. "It explains why she let those guys hassle her."

"She wouldn't want to fuel the fire. But the roughed her up. Nash wanted to take her to the ER but she wouldn't go."

"Is she ok?" His fists were clenched by his side.

"I think so. I think it's just bruising. Nash wouldn't have left her if it were anything more."

"Yeah, I guess."

"So you saw her last night?"

"Yeah, briefly."

"And she saw you?"

"Yeah…why?"

"With Fiona?" Sam didn't answer, he just looked away. "What are you doing Sam?" Oliver stood up and got in the way of his Sam's pacing. Sam tried to walk around him, but Oliver pressed his hand to his chest to stop him. "No…stop it. Talk to me Brother."

"Oliver, I don't. Want. To talk."

"You need to talk! Don't think I haven't noticed, or Jerry. We're worried about you."

"I'm fine."

"No! You're not!" Oliver was shouting and Sam was taken aback by it. It wasn't often he saw Oliver so mad and it usually involved his kids. "You're not fine. You're a mess! You have been since that trouble on the roof."

"Trouble on the roof?" Sam scoffed. His left hand was scratching the scars on his right arm without volition. Oliver reached down and grabbed his arm.

"This. This is not right. What happened to you was not right and you don't just roll over and get up from that, you don't just carry on as if it's all part of carrying the badge. It's not Sam! It's not!"

Sam tugged his arm back out of Oliver's reach and held it behind his back.

"Don't give me this lecture right now." Sam's voice as low with barely contained rage.

"I should have given it to you weeks ago. I would have given it to you in the ambulance on the way to the hospital if I was there. So now…now you get to hear that I think you are being an ass. A selfish conceited ass."

Sam looked up confused.

"Andy is hurting. I know you are too. Stop licking your wounds and go to her."

"Go to her?" Sam laughed. "Oliver…I did go to her. I went to her after I got recertified and she rejected me."

"Oh…that night? That night when you were so desperate for something to hold on to you almost went home with me?" Oliver looked at him with disbelief on his face. "You're an idiot."

"I know." Sam dry washed his face with his hands and ran them through his hair.

"Go get washed up, and go talk to her." Oliver slapped his friend on the shoulder then walked to the door. He stood in the doorway for a moment, looked back at his friend and sighed before her left.

* * *

Andy didn't sleep.

When dawn broke she climbed out of bed. She busied herself by cleaning up her apartment and when it was spotless she took a shower. She leaned over and rubbed her wet hair with a towel. She draped the towel over her head then twisted it around her hair to tie it up.

It had taken a while last night to convince Traci and Gail that she was fine and didn't need a visit to the ER and even longer still to tell them that she didn't need company for the night. And even as the relief washed over her when they left, it was quickly followed by sadness. She had washed the makeup off her face, changed into her PJs and gone straight to bed. Her upper arms were tender from where the men had grabbed her and there were some bruises starting to show on her neck where one of them had grabbed her.

Now in the kitchen dressed in PJ bottoms and a black tank top, she made some cereal but didn't have the stomach to eat it. Instead it turned soggy as she moved it round with her spoon. Everything felt like it was moving in slow motion, even the heart beat she could hear in her head was slow and steady. She replayed the night's events in her head over and over but focused only on one part. His smile, followed by his kiss.

She had said something to him to make him smile. Then he kissed her. That moment, not even a moment, those ten seconds were playing in a loop in her mind and she was powerless to stop it. Her doorbell shot through the silence like a bullet and made her jump. She left her untouched cereal and went to answer it, her foggy brain moving her through the motions. She opened the door to Sam who was leaning on the door frame.

"Hey…" he said when she didn't greet him with anything other than shock.

"Hey." Still she was frozen to the spot.

"Are you going to invite me in?"

"Oh…ok… yeah, sure." She pulled the door open and stepped back. Sam walked past her, careful not to touch her and went through to her living room. He heard the door close but she didn't follow. He gave her a minute and waited for her in silence. When she came through he noticed she was a little more composed.

"How are you feeling?" he asked his eyes travelling over her neck, clocking the bruising there, then down over her arms to see the rest. He shoved his hands into his pockets to stop himself from reaching out and grabbing her.

"I'm ok." She walked over to the radiator where she had a sweater warming and slipped it on to hide the marks.

"Are you?"

"What are you doing here Sam?" she sat onto the couch and pulled her knees up to her chest. She tugged her sleeves over her hands, wrapped them around her legs and rested her chin on her knees.

"I came to see you. After last night…I was worried."

"Worried." Andy's lips were tight. "Well I'm fine so you can go."

"God, Andy can you just please stop!" he came over to her and sat on the edge of the table in front of her. He reached out and put his hands on her arms. "Stop pretending you are fine, stop pretending you don't need anyone."

"Ha! You're a fine one to talk."

There was a moment of silence. Sam's heart was beating in his chest faster than he thought was safe. She could feel heat radiating from the places where his hands were resting on her arms. He slowly moved his hands up her arms to her shoulders. Pushed her legs down and knelt on the floor before her. He spread her legs, got closer to her, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

At first she was stiff and unresponsive against him, but when one hand reached up her neck and onto her scalp, the other slowly moved down to the small of her back and held her tight against his chest, she relented and sank into his hug.

They stayed like that for a long time. He was expecting her to cry but she didn't. Slowly he leaned back, brought his hands up to hold her face, held her way from him so he could look at her. Her eyes were wide and full of worry and she was looking at him expectantly.

He didn't mean to kiss her. He had already been burned by her rejection. He didn't think he could stand to feel that again but something inside him was drawn to her, drawn to her lips. It was a soft, chaste kiss and he tried his best not to deepen it. At the very least, he rationalised he could pass it off as a comforting kiss if she questioned him.

Then she opened her mouth, licked his lips, and slid her tongue past them to caress the inside of his mouth. Sam lost all his restraint in an instant and kissed her back. Her hands moved up his arms to his shoulders to meet at the back of his neck and pull him closer, if that was even possible.

She moved her hands again, this time to his waist and started to pull his tee shirt out of his jeans. She got it high enough to slide her hands onto his skin and he gasped at the sensation. But before she could pull it off him altogether his mobile phone rang in his pocket.

The shrill noise seemed to break their connection and Sam pulled back. He looked at her, her lips red and glistening, and her eyes wide and waiting. Sam fished his phone out of his pocket and looked down at the ID. It was Fiona. Something in him popped and he sunk down onto his haunches.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N**: Sorry this is such a short chapter (and it ends abruptly) but I need to go to bed! and I didnt want to leave you guys empty handed.

~Reckon on more chapter after this and we'll be done. (both YAY and Awww!)

* * *

Andy sat back into the couch, her hand came up to her mouth. She could feel his lips still on hers and she thought maybe if she rubbed them the tingling sensation would be gone. Sam was kneeling on the floor before her looking at his phone.

"Aren't you going to answer it?"

Sam declined the call and put the phone back into his pocket. "No. I came here to talk to you." He sat on the other side of the couch and turned slightly to face her. "So that's what were gonna do. So tell me about the investigation."

"It was an arrest, the guy fell. After he spoke to his solicitor he claimed that I used excessive force."

"Andy…Tell me what happened."

"Myself and Shaw were called to a bar, and the bouncers had three guys who were caught selling drugs. There was a scuffle, and they ran. Oliver chased one, I chased the other and caught him as he was climbing a wall. The wall fell under him, that's how he got injured. EMTs at the scene cleared him for arrest, said all his injuries were superficial. So I brought him back to the barn to process him."

"Go on…"

"It was the next day when I was pulled into Frank's office. He told me they were starting an investigation. I had to surrender my gun and badge. I gave an interview yesterday morning. Frank called then and said it all matched up with what Shaw said and the medical reports."

"So you're in the clear."

"Not until the investigation is finished," she let her head fall back against the couch and her eyes closed over. "But it looks like it will come out in my favour."

"That's great Andy," he said and his hand came across the couch and rubbed her shoulder. "I wish you had told me sooner. But I guess I understand why you didn't."

They were each quiet for a moment. She kept her eyes closed and Sam wanted to pull her into his arms, just hold her against him but he didn't. Instead he stood up from the couch and fixed his top. Andy felt her eyes close over. His mere presence was having a calming effect on her and after a few sleepless nights she was finding it hard to keep her eyes open.

"Look I should go. You look like you need the sleep."

"No Sam…" she reached out and took his hand as he walked by her. "Stay." But even as she spoke her eyes dropped over and her hand dropped back to her lap. Sam smiled. He leaned over and kissed her head then as quiet as he could he left.

* * *

After taking a shower Sam fell into his bed to catch up on some much needed sleep. He was woken a couple of hours later by his phone. He dragged his heavy body out of bed to get it from his pocket, then lay back down to answer it.

"Sam," Fiona was speaking loudly to be heard over the music in the background. "Sam, can you hear me?"

"Yeah, whats up?"

"Come to the bar!" she yelled into the phone in a singsong voice that was supposed to entice him.

"Not Tonight Fi, I'm wrecked."

"Awww poor Sam, can't you handle the pace?"

"Look, have a good time. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"And what if some handsome man picks me up while I'm here in the bar alone."

"Are you alone?"

"No, Reynolds is here and Susan and mike too. But it's you I want to see."

"Okay then." Sam wanted to talk to her. Wanted to see her to explain he wasn't what she thought he was. To explain he couldn't be what she wanted him to be. Though to be fair he wasn't sure she wanted him to be anything but available from time to time. "I'll see you in a little while."

Sam dressed as quickly as he could and hurried to MacTurkles bar. He found her in the back playing pool with Kevin Reynolds. She was draped over the table and he was standing behind her, leaning over helping her take the shot. Sam cleared his throat to get their attention. Kevin stood up and had the courtesy to look guilty but Fiona just smiled.

"Sammy, you made it."

"Yeah, you just called me."

She came over and draped an arm over his shoulder and kissed his jaw.

"And you arrived!" She kissed him again but he held her at bay.

"What are you doing Fiona?" He took her arm and left her over to a quieter corner. "Are you trying to make me jealous?"

"Did it work?" She tried to kiss him again but he moved out of her way. He put took hold of her arms and pushed her back into a stool.

"No. No it didn't." Sam sat back onto the high stool of his own. "That's not what we are Fiona, you know it, I know it."

"So what are we?" She cocked an eyebrow at him.

Sam shrugged. "I dunno Fiona. But this has run its course."

Fiona looked at him for a moment then flashed him a dazzling smile. She glanced over his shoulder where Kevin was watching them surreptitiously. "It has certainly served its purpose." She took a step closer to her and kissed his cheek then walked over to Kevin who was waiting to show her another pool shot. Sam watched her go and felt a tightening in his chest ease as he left the bar to go home.

* * *

It wasn't long before Sam climbed into his own bed again and again when his head hit the pillow he was asleep instantly. But this time the ringing that woke him wasn't from his phone. Instead it was his doorbell. He pulled himself out of bed, pulled on some shorts and grabbed a sweater. By the time he got to the door he was dressed.

Andy was standing on his stoop. She was wearing a pair of jogging shorts, a sports bra and a tank top. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail and she was glistening and sweaty. She was out of breath so he opened the door fully and gestured for her to come in. She smiled thanks as she walked by and went through to his living room. The house was cold and dark as he had been upstairs sleeping so when he followed her into the room he closed the door and started to build a fire.

"You ok? Can I get you a drink of water?"

"No thanks, I'm fine."

"Did you run here?"

"I was out running…I ended up here."

"There is a difference, huh?" he glanced over her shoulder and smiled at her.

"Slight."

It wasn't long before he got the embers going and he shifted the couch closer to the fire.

"Sit down," he said and he patted the back of the couch. "I'll just get you a drink."

Andy had managed to get her breath back and was sitting on the couch when he came back with a tall glass of water for her. She took a long drink, not caring that some of the water was dribbling out the past the corner of her lips and down her throat. She put the near empty glass on the table when she had her fill and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Sam was watching her with interest.

"So…" she said eventually. "Is this a two way street?"

"Huh?"

"If we're going to be friends, then it needs to be a two way street. Tell me what happened."

Sam felt his face fall and he struggled to maintain his expression. "You were there. You don't need me to break it down for you."

"Talk to me…please."

Sam looked over to her. She had turned to face him completely and was sitting sideways, cross legged waiting for him to speak.

"I was scared. I thought I was going to die." Sam reached over and pulled on the wrist cuff of his jumper then slowly pulled it up to expose the scars. "I remember lying on the roof, my arm was hot, it felt like it was burning, and you held onto me. I looked up and there was this bright light, and I could only see your shadow and it was fading. I was scared."

"Oh Sam…"

His left hand stroked his scars, his fingers barely touching the skin. The red line was jagged and ugly on his sallow skin. Andy watched as he rubbed it, almost subconsciously.

"I thought…I that was it for me." He smiled admonishingly and shook his head. "I've been in some hairy situations but nothing made me feel scared like I was on that roof. And that made me angry."

"Because you couldn't control it?"

"Because I didn't know how to stop feeling scared. Even after they let me out of the hospital, I was scared. When I took my recertification exam I was terrified. Everything was scaring me. And I didn't know how to handle it…so I left."

She came closed to him and took his arm. She pushed his left hand away, smoothed her hands over the scars, and rubbed them gently.

"You should have come to me."

"I did." He scoffed.

"No Sam, I mean you should have come to talk to me."

"Andy I wasn't really thinking straight…I just wanted to… I just wanted…" he looked over at her and saw the concern in her eyes. "I just wanted you."

Andy pulled on his arm so he came closer to her and hugged him. His head was on her chest and he circled his arms around her waist. She rubbed his back and stroked his hair away from his face.

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**A/N**: Sorry! More tomorrow!


	11. Chapter 11

They stayed like that for the longest time. His head sank so that he was lying on her lap. She stroked his hair and rubbed his back and he just lay there taking it all in. He must have fallen asleep and when he opened his eyes the room was darker than before. Her hands had stilled one on his back, the other onto her own lap, beside his head. Slowly he looked up and saw that her head had fallen back, and her eyes had closed over. Her breathing was slow and steady. She was sleeping.

As carefully as he could he peeled himself away from her and sat up on the couch. He took a moment to wake up fully, rubbed his face with his hands, ran his fingers through his hair and took a few slow and steady breaths. He saw the blanket on the back of the couch and thought about covering her up, but decided against it. Instead he moved off the couch and ran upstairs to his room. He pulled the curtains closed, turned on the bedside lap and pulled down her duvet.

Back in the kitchen he filled a glass of water and brought it up to the room to leave beside the lamp then he went down to collect her.

"Andy?" he said softly and he wasn't sure if it was because he didn't want to wake her. When she didn't stir he snaked an arm around her back at her shoulders and slipped the other one under her knees. He lifted her easily and she instinctively turned towards him and her head fell against his shoulder. He carried her upstairs and put her into his bed. He took the time to take off her shoes then covered her with the duvet. He took a moment to look down at her and brushed a few errant strands out of her face but before he could turn off the light and leave she called out his name.

"Sam…" it was whispered into the darkness and shattered the still silence.

"Yeah?"

"Stay. Stay with me."

Sam nodded. He pulled off his sweater and climbed into the bed beside her. She had rolled onto her back and lifted one of her arms. She tugged on him to get him to roll over towards her, and when he did she held him close. His head was on her breast and the slow steady beat of her heart was calming. He draped an arm across her torso and his legs mingled with hers.

"Andy…"

"Mmm?"

"Thanks."

She kissed the top of his head and he could feel her smiling. "What are friends for?"

"Friends?" He moved his head from her chest and looked up to her, delighting in her mischievous grin. "Is that what we are?"

"I hope so."

"So you normally lie in bed with your friends?" He adjusted his position, bent his arm and rested his head in his hand, as his other hand drew deliciously soft circles on her torso. She smiled.

"No, this is something I savour for special occasions."

"Special?" Sam lowered his head a little and she rolled hers to face him more.

A million funny remarks flew through her mind, but she rejected them all in favour of kissing him. She moved quickly, pressed her lips to his and pushed him over onto his back. His hands came up to her, rubbed her sides as her kiss got hungrier. Her tongue caressed the inside of his mouth as she lowered her hips down to rest on his crotch.

She sat up and he followed her, not wanting to lose the connection to her mouth. His hands found the hem of her top and he pulled it up and over her then tossed it aside then the touched her skin all over. It was warm and soft and he never wanted to let her go. Her hands were in his hair, her fingers on his scalp sending shivers of desire down his spine. Without realising it her hips began to move. The grinded against him, and felt him gasp and his fingers pressed into her sides to try to stop her but it was no use. His growing erection was beneath her and she was enjoying the feel of it too much to stop.

"Andy…"

"Shhhh!" she ordered. She grabbed his shoulders and pushed him back into the bed then kissed him slowly. She moved away from his lips, with effort, and kissed his jaw, his neck, his shoulders and his chest. She shuffled down and was sitting across his knees. Her hands tugged on his shorts but she didn't pull them off. Instead she paid attention to his hipbone that was jutting out. First the left, then the right. Sam tried to grab her shoulders to pull her back up to him but she squirmed out of his reach. She pulled his shorts down a little further and kissed him along the top of his pubic bone. Her breasts pressed against his thighs, her chin lightly brushed his penis and it was all he could do not to lose control right then and there.

But this was too much fun, so he hung on. He pushed his head back into the pillow, scrunched his eyes shut and tried not to think about her tongue on his skin. Leaving a burning trail in its wake that she cooled with cold air and she blew softly over it.

When she pulled his shorts down further, he lifted his ass to help her remove them and she tossed them aside as soon as she could. She reached her hands up and stroked his nipples, then dragged her nails down his chest, his thighs then back up the back to his butt. Sam clenched his fists holding bunches of the sheets to stop himself from grabbing her. The world would fall down around him and he would hope she would continue. She was kissing, an nipping the top of his hips, moving her lips to the inside of his thigh she slowly made her way to the one place he wanted, needed her to be.

Her hand moved after her tongue, her nails raking his hot skin. As she licked a path from his navel down to his pubic bone her hand grasped his erection and he bucked beneath her. She stroked him in slow soft motions. Then her tongue replaced her hands. It ran from base to tip, circling at the top and he almost exploded. She opened her mouth wider, circled the tip of his penis with her tongue then slowly took it in, her lips moved all the way down the shaft to the very base. Sam had to pool all his concentration to stop himself from moving. Her tongue moved against his hot skin and she lifted her head painfully slowly and release him.

He moaned audibly and released the breath he was holding but before he could do anything else she took him in again, in one smooth motion, his penis hit the back of her throat but she opened her gullet to take him in fully and he groaned again with the sensation. One of her hands came around to cup his balls and she squeezed them gently, the other moved across his torso, raked her nails over his skin and came down to rest at the base of his penis where she circled it and held it in place.

"Oh god…" the words escaped passed his lips though he wasn't sure how seeing as he was struggling to breath.

She began to move faster, her tongue wet him, her lips pressed around him and her hot breath tickled him then she hummed. The low steady pitch sent shockwaves through his system then she swirled her tongue around him and he bucked beneath her, unable to hold still any longer he pushed his hips off the bed and further into her mouth. She fondled his balls with one hand and the other moved over his hips to squeeze his ass. She took him in, pressed her tongue against him, and hummed again.

"Andy…Andy!" he said, his hand reached down to stop her, the build-up was going beyond his control but she batted his hand away and sucked on him, letting her tongue rasp across the top of his penis. His hips were moving faster now and she kept up with him, both her hands now holding his hips until finally, with a guttural release that seemed to emanate from his toes he was spent. She squeezed his hips, sucked her lips and tongue up his shaft and released him with a pop. He lay on the bed, his body melted into the mattress. She kissed his inner thighs, and then slowly kissed her way up his chest to his jaw.

She spotted the glass of water on the bedside table and reached over to take a long drink. When she was finished she turned her attention back to him but he still hadn't moved. His eyes were closed and his breathing was ragged. She was still straddling him, sitting up and looking down at him with a smug smile on her face when he eventually opened his eyes.

It seemed to take him a moment to focus, his eyes wandered around the room before finally settling on her and her smile.

"Hey…" he managed to get out though his voice was raspy.

"Hey yourself. Here." She held out the glass to him and he took a long drink.

"Thanks." Andy smirked. "For the drink I mean."

"Oh yeah, of course."

"C'mere…" he tugged her down so she was lying on top of him. He kissed her lightly and hugged her. "Andy, I just…I just want to say…"

When he didn't continue she pushed off him. Breached her hands on either side of his head and looked down at him. She was smiling softly and there was a light blush in her cheeks. He studied her features and she had never looked so beautiful to him.

"What is it?"

"God dammit Andy…I love you."

"Not quite the admission a lady years to hear."

His hands were on her hips and he pushed her up, followed her and then held her in a tight embrace. Her legs came around his waist and she inched closer to him. He tipped his head and rested it on her shoulder, and pressed feather light kisses into her skin.

"I love you." It was barely a whisper and it warmed her very core. "I wanted to say it to you before, I needed to say it to you now. Before…"

"Before what?"

"Before I panic and run away again."

She rolled back on her hips to get a look at him. He loosened his grip on her and watched her face for any sign that she wasn't on the same page btu te expression he saw there was nothing short of love. He dared a smile. She looked down at his hands that were now on her thighs. She picked up his right arm, rubbed her fingers along his scars. He tried to pull it away but she wouldn't let him. She lifted his arm up, caught his eyes with hers then kissed his scars, softly, barely touching him. She kissed a trail all the way up his arm and finally their lips connected.

The kiss was a soft an languid and she felt her core churning. Then without warning he flipped her over onto her back and assaulted her with his lips.

"So we've had the oral, now it's time for the practical?" she said when he pulled the strap of her bra off her shoulder.

"Well there has been one oral exam, correct. But there may be a need for a retake."

Andy chuckled. His tongue licked the upper curve on her breasts then dipped into the crevice. She moaned and squirmed against him, her nails scratching patterns on his back. He pulled on her sports bra and tugged it off her then squeezed her left breast with his hand, while laying lavish attention on the other with his tongue. After a moment he switched sides. She was writhing beneath him but he had her trapped. He pressed his lower weight onto her crotch and legs and trapped her upper body with his hands and his tongue.

"Sam…Sam, wait." She put her hands on either side of his face and forced him to look at her.

"What?"

"I love you too." She beamed as his smile crept across his lips, then without breaking eye contact he lowered his head and flicked her nipple with his tongue. She tried not to show her reaction but it was no use. Her eyes fluttered closed and she arched her back, pushing her breast into his mouth where he suckled on it. His hands roamed down her sides and met resistance in her tight jogging shorts. He had to roll off her an peel them off with both hands. When they were tossed to the floor he didn't reclaim his place immediately, instead he parted her legs slowly, dragged his fingers tips from her knee, up her inner thigh and across her pubic bone. She bit her bottom lip in an effort to control the effect he was having on her but it was no use. Her whole body was starting to quiver.

He leaned in, blew cold air over her curls then let his tongue appear to lick her. She moved beneath his touch and he moved his tongue deeper. She clenched her butt and moved her hips. His hands roamed over her skin and he reached up to cup her breasts.

"Sam…Sam c'mere…" she pulled on his shoulders to bring him up her body. He obliged but not before he blew more air over her, then kissed his way up her chest. She snaked one leg around him, her heel pressing into the small of his back, she pressed him to her. "This… this is what I want."

Sam reached down between them and guided himself to her entrance but he didn't push, not yet. He looked up to her face, kissed her lightly, then pulled back and caught her eye. With their eyes locked he thrust his hips forward in one smooth motion. Neither of them was able to keep their eyes in contact as the sensation exploded around them. They lay still, her fingers pressing hard into his back, leaving small crescent moon shapes behind, his bit into her shoulder, leaving teeth marks in his wake. When they were able Sam slowly pulled out then all the way back in again. Slow leisurely strokes, building up friction as she arched her back to press her breasts onto his hairy chest, and rolled her hips to allow her deeper access.

His hand slid beneath them, pressed her from the curve of her ass, helping her keep up the quickening pace. She met him, thrust for thrust, she raised her arms up over her head, buried them under her head and he loved the way it made her breasts curve to their fullest and bounce beneath him. She planted her feet onto the bed an braced herself, pushing her hips up further, giving him further penetration and tipped her over the edge. With a long loud moan she felt her core implode.

"Oh god…" He thrust again but she widened her legs and with one final push he followed her into oblivion with a groan. Every muscle he had was humming with the orgasm that coursed through him and he fell onto her with a grunt.

They lay still, panting. After a few moments, when he thought he could control his muscles again, Sam rolled over onto his side and took her with him. He was still inside her, flaccid but touching and it wasn't a sensation he was prepared to lose.

He combed his fingers through her hair and kissed her cheeks, rubbed her nose with his own then kissed her lips.

"I love you," he whispered.

She smiled and returned his kisses. Her whole body was aching deliciously and she loved the feeling of being held against him from top to toe.

"I missed you."

"Me too."

"When will you be back at 15?"

"Soon." He kissed her again, loving how her lips were soft and wet, ready for his. "When do you go back to work?"

"Next week I think. Frank hasn't given me a date yet but he said it would be in the next couple of days."

"So…what you're saying is we have time?"

"Time? For what?" She felt him twitching against his crotch and she arched her eyebrows. "So soon?"

"No, not quite…you really took it out of me earlier, I'm surprised I could recover at all!" He stretched his body, his legs reached past the end of the bed and his free arm up into the air.

"Mmmm, I know what you mean."

Andy stretched as well then rolled over onto her other side. She held one arm beneath her neck and let his hand curl round to breast, then she shimmied back to press her back to his chest and her butt to his crotch. His other arm came over her torso and held her in place and his legs spooned behind her.

"Perfect." He whispered then kissed her behind her ear.

"Mmmmm," was all she could manage as her body relaxed against his she fell into an easy relaxed slumber. Sam watched her for a minute more, fighting the urge to sleep himself. He wanted to take it all in, didn't want to miss a thing. But his eyes were heavy and eventually he followed her, hoping that when he woke she would still be in his arms. He pulled her tighter against him to make sure then finally succumbed to the delicious exhaustion.

**The End. **

**Skinfull**

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**A/N**: I really hope my tiredness didn't shine through in this chapter. (its 2.40am!) but I really had fun with it and I didn't wan to stop, or post half a chapter. Anywhoo... good times! Roll on the next fic!

~ If it wasn't for the reviewers I probably wouldn't be such a prolific writer, so thanks you guys. Especially that person who is giving me wonderfully in-depth insight into the story and the characters. You're reviewing as a guest so I cant reply, but note, it is appreciated.

~ Excuse the typos, I dont have a beta reader.


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